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Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
Gallo: La Folia in G minor
Handel: Trio Sonata in G minor, Op. 2, No. 8
Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 1
Vivaldi: Violin Concerto
Listen Saturday May 28 at 7 p.m.
Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
Gallo: La Folia in G minor
Handel: Trio Sonata in G minor, Op. 2, No. 8
Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 1
Vivaldi: Violin Concerto
Listen Saturday May 28 at 7 p.m. | https://www.vpr.org/show/the-chamber-music-society-of-lincoln-center/2022-05-27/a-baroque-celebration | 2022-05-27T18:34:34 | en | 0.791886 |
When it comes to being old, there’s a new top dog.
A toy fox terrier named Pebbles has been pronounced the new Guinness world record holder for oldest living dog, just weeks after a Chihuahua named TobyKeith had been awarded with the title.
Pebbles, who resides in Taylor, South Carolina, is 22. When Pebbles’ owners, Bobby and Julie Gregory, learned that TobyKeith had fetched the distinction at a mere 21 years old, they knew Guinness was barking up the wrong tree.
The couple contacted Guinness, which was able to confirm Pebbles’ ripe old age, the organization said in a statement. The aged pet, who the couple called the “beacon of our lives,” was born on March 28, 2000.
The average life expectancy for a toy fox terrier is 13 to 15 years, and for a Chihuahua it’s 14 to 16 years, according to the American Kennel Club
Neither of the distinguished dogs are anywhere close to the record for oldest dog ever. That dog was an Australian cattle dog named Bluey who died in 1939 at the age of 29 years and 5 months.
Somewhat ironically for a dog whose claim to fame is unseating TobyKeith, Pebbles enjoys listening to country music, Julie Gregory told Guinness. But the real key to canine long life isn’t heartland melodies ― it’s devoted love and care, Gregory said.
“Treat them like family because they are,” she told Guinness. “Give them a happy positive environment as much as possible, good clean food and proper health care.” | https://www.huffpost.com/entry/pebbles-oldest-living-dog-toy-fox-terrier_n_6290f391e4b05cfc2699d563 | 2022-05-27T18:34:37 | en | 0.970904 |
Linda Ambrus Broenniman, who lives in Northern Virginia, was alerted by a friend to watch the news on TV.
She was told the CNN newscast contained a report about the reunion of two Holocaust survivors: Dr. George Berci, a world-renowned surgeon and medical research pioneer, and me in Los Angeles.
[ An extraordinary reunion of two Holocaust survivors ]
Broenniman noticed that not only were the medical career and accomplishments of Dr. Berci very similar to her father’s, but their family background and survival during World War II was also similar.
She contacted Dr. Berci and told him her family’s saga, which she herself learned about only after years of painstaking research.
Linda Broenniman told me that after a house fire at the family’s home in Buffalo, New York, which resulted in the death of her mother at age 86, a non-descript brown box somehow survived the fire.
“The content became the catalyst for a journey of discovery whose seeds were planted 35 years ago — the day I learned that my Catholic father was Jewish and what little family history I knew was a lie.”
In a synopsis of her forthcoming book, “The Politzer Saga,” Linda talks about her family background.
“I am the middle child of seven children born to Hungarian physicians who survived World War II and started their new life in US. We were raised Catholic, in Buffalo. It was a happy childhood. A charmed life. But there were secrets. No one spoke of the past, about their lives and families before the war. As I got older, it become impossible to ignore a gnawing need for truth.”
With the help of a Hungarian researcher, Linda was able to piece together her family’s past.
Her father, Dr. Julian Ambrus Sr., was born in Budapest, Hungary, and began his medical studies in 1942 at the University of Budapest. There, he met a fellow student, Clara Bayer, and they fall in love.
In May 1944, however, Julian, like other Jews, was conscripted into a Nazi slave labor camp.
“It is not quite clear where the labor camp was, but was not far from Jolsva, high in the Ore Mountains,” Linda said. “One day the camp was bombed. Fever than a third of the people survived. My father and five of his friends miraculously escaped. They hid in the woods but were captured twice. Somehow, they were able to get free and get on a train back to Budapest. And back to my mother.”
Meanwhile, Clara moved into an abandoned factory where she was hiding her Jewish friends and their families. When Julian returned, he and one of his friends also hid in Clara’s abandoned factory.
In January 1945, during the siege of Budapest by the Red Army, Julian and two of his friends went out to look for food. This time they were captured by Soviet soldiers and taken to a prisoner of war camp. Eventually, Julian was set free and told to go to Szeged, a safer city than Budapest.
“When my father arrived in Szeged, the medical school was starting again. My mother, walked to Szeged, more than 100 miles, to meet up with my father and enroll in the medical school. My parents were married in Szeged in February 1945. At the end of April, they returned to Budapest and resumed their medical studies there.”
In 1947, Julian Ambrus received a scholarship to the University of Zurich, and together with Clara, finished their medical studies. From Zurich, they went to Paris to do fellowships at the Pasteur Institute. They must have built a reputation, because in 1950, they were recruited to the Jefferson Medical School in Philadelphia.
Having made a name for himself in the field of medicine, Dr. Ambrus, in 1955, was invited to Roswell Park Cancer Institute as principal cancer research scientist and was put in charge of Roswell’s Springville Laboratory. He turned it into its own research unit, with 100 people working there.
Dr. Ambrus died in 2020, at age 95. He was named a laureate, the highest honor of the American College of Physicians.
He and his wife Clara, who was recognized by Yad Vashem in Jerusalem as “Righteous Among Nations” for saving Jews during the Holocaust, also helped settle refugees from the 1956 Hungarian uprising.
All this makes their daughter, Linda, immensely proud of her parents. However, she needed to delve into their personal stories to heighten her awareness of the present.
When I asked Linda, why is it important to her to share her family’s saga with the public, she said:
“Growing up, I knew nothing about my parental ancestors — not even their last names. Along with their names, who they were, how they lived, what they achieved — all had disappeared lost and forgotten by my father’s silence. To find them has been a blessing. To share their lives help me to know they were real and remind me all that was lost when their lives were hidden.”
Shatz is a Williamsburg resident. He is the author of “Reports from a Distant Place,” the compilation of his selective columns . The book is available at the Bruton Parish Shop, and Amazon.com | https://www.pilotonline.com/virginiagazette/opinion/va-vg-ed-shatz-0527-20220527-cvvh45dpyzafxgsxiyvc7df34e-story.html | 2022-05-27T18:34:37 | en | 0.989948 |
A new restaurant — 7 Mares Mexican Restaurant — is coming to 1138 Richmond Road, where restaurants have operated for nearly 90 years.
No details on the project are available, but Garcias Restaurant, Inc., is listed with the Virginia State Corporation Commission as the operator and Juan C. Garcia Perez is named as the corporation president.
According to available records, a restaurant opened in the one-story building in the mid-1930s and was believed to be one of the first three or four restaurants in the city. Later, David Rutledge owned and operated the Ivy House Restaurant from 1948-1960, where it was known for its “Astronomical Pancakes.”
Rutledge later was the general manager of “The Common Glory” outdoor drama here from 1968 until it closed in 1976. He was active in the Williamsburg Chamber of Commerce, serving a term as its president.
The late Tom and Rose Paparis, Greek immigrants, purchased the restaurant from Rutledge in 1960 and operated it without many changes. They sold the property in 1969 to Nick Sarantakos (known as Nick Saras), who changed the menu and modified the name to the Ivy House Restaurant & Nick’s Pewter Plate.
“Astronomical Pancakes” were still available through various ownerships.
Sometime in the 1960s, a new façade was put on the building to create the appearance of a second floor with large columns on the front. “The Original Ivy House Restaurant” is emblazoned on the brick work of the building today, but the words are painted over and hardly visible.
“It’s all fake. The restaurant is still only one story,” explained Nikolaos Kokolis, whose family now owns the building.
John Kokolis, another Greek restauranteur in Williamsburg, purchased the building and the business in 1982 and reopened it as Marino’s, featuring Italian Cuisine. Astronomical Pancakes vanished.
The Kokolis family opened a new restaurant in 2007 at 5437 Richmond Road and called it “Astronomical Pancake House.” It is open daily from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Marino’s operated for many years, but a succession of restaurants have occupied the space in recent years, including Corey’s Country Kitchen 2 and most recently Healthy Eatz, which operated last year only as a take-out restaurant because of the pandemic.
Chase coming to Merchants Square
JPMorgan Chase has leased the 2,561-square-foot former SunTrust branch bank at 202 N. Henry St. in Merchants Square in Williamsburg, according to a statement from Cushman & Wakefield|THALHIMER, commercial real estate firm.
Chase will return a bank to an area where a bank had operated earlier for nearly 125 years.
America’s largest bank in terms of asset share, Chase plans to open 10 branches in Hampton Roads by the end of 2022, including a second in the Greater Williamsburg Area at an as yet unannounced location.
The new branches are part of a Chase long-range plan to add more than 140 units to its mid-Atlantic region. Two new branches also are planned for Norfolk.
The SunTrust (now Truist) branch bank closed permanently in March 2021. It was a successor to several banks operating near the site since 1897.
American Family Fitness to close
American Family Fitness, which operates numerous storefronts in New Town, primarily along Main Street, is scheduled to close June 15.
“We realize this is unexpected news to our loyal members,” an email to club members said. “However, we hope everyone understands that we were left with no other operation as we were not able to come to an amicable lease agreement to continue operating at our Williamsburg location.”
The business opened in New Town in August 2011.
Ferry now on summer schedule
The state-operated Jamestown-Scotland Ferry began its summer schedule Friday. The approximate 20-minute crossing will operate 24 hours per day with four ferries in operation. The new schedule can be found online at virginiadot.org/travel/resources/Hampton_Roads/JSF_Summer_Schedule.pdf or by calling the ferry hotline at 800-823-3779.
Dots and Dashes
• Allied Bellkey Realty has purchased the 33,348-square-foot industrial building at 1574 Penniman Road in York County. The 9.41-acre site was bought from W&W Investment, LLC, for $2.2 million. Clay Culbreath of Cushman & Wakefield|THALHIMER handled negotiations on behalf of the seller.
• Shine for You, LLC, auto detailing has renewed its lease of 3,200 square feet of industrial space at the Shirley Pewter Building, 5691 Mooretown Road in James City County. Dawn F. Griggs of Cushman & Wakefield|THALHIMER handled negotiations on behalf of the landlord.
• Hand n Heart Home Care renewed its lease of 2,631 square feet of office space at 471 McLaws Circle in James City County. Andy Dallas of Cushman & Wakefield|THALHIMER handled negotiations on behalf of the landlord.
Wilford Kale, kalehouse@aol.com | https://www.pilotonline.com/virginiagazette/va-vg-biz-notes-0528-20220527-hle7nvcz2ver5lepiyn3germfm-story.html | 2022-05-27T18:34:45 | en | 0.960441 |
In a surprise announcement that could have lasting ramifications on one of the most closely watched political races in Vermont this year, Chittenden County Sen. Kesha Ram dropped out of the race for U.S. House on Friday and endorsed her opponent, Becca Balint.
Balint, Ram Hinsdale and Lt. Gov. Molly Gray were widely viewed as the top three candidates in what had, until Friday, been a five-way race for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. House.
Ram Hinsdale said her decision to depart the race stems in part from a desire to unite the Democratic left around a single candidate.
“I don’t think anyone needs a political science degree to know that we were looking at a race where folks on the left were having an extremely tough time choosing between me and Becca, and wanted to make sure that the left didn’t tear itself apart in pursuit of this seat,” Ram Hinsdale told VPR Friday.
Ram Hinsdale said her endorsement could be a pivotal moment for the Balint campaign.
“I do think in a race that was a toss up until now, a prominent candidate getting out and endorsing another candidate probably holds sway,” Ram Hinsdale said. “What I think floored all of us … is just how close of a race this was. Anyone could pull ahead, anyone could find an advantage. But my path to victory would probably still involve continuing to split hairs with Sen. Balint, who’s someone I deeply respect and admire and have enjoyed collaborating with.”
Gray said Friday that the “momentum” of her campaign is growing by the day.
“Having run and won statewide before … we have support in every corner of the state,” Gray said.
Gray said her campaign will continue to try to reach voters “across the political spectrum” with a message of “civility and kindness and with a deep focus on the issues.”
“What I know about Vermonters, having grown up in Vermont and worked across the state … is that Vermonters vote for the person,” Gray said. “And they want to see leaders right now who are going to lead with civility.”
Sianay Chase Clifford and Louis Meyers are also seeking the Democratic nomination for Vermont’s only seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Ram Hinsdale said Balint is the only candidate left in the race with the legislative experience needed to advocate effectively for Vermont in Congress.
Balint has spent four terms in the Vermont Senate and currently serves as the chamber’s president pro tem.
“Language about being battle-tested has been thrown around in this race, and Becca is truly battle-tested. She’s battle-tested in policy, in the political arena, in terms of building power to get legislation moving that meets the needs of all Vermonters,” Ram Hinsdale said. “We I think share that value of ensuring that no one is left behind and in fact those at the margins are centered. And it takes experience and skill to make sure that is meaningful and not performative.”
Gray said that as a former staffer in Congressman Peter Welch’s office, she has meaningful legislative experience as well.
“Legislative experience is important and there’s no other candidate in this race that spent nearly half a decade working in and with Congress, with congressional committees and staff,” Gray said. “I know what it’s like to work in Congress, both on legislation but also on meeting constituent services, so I know I have the experience to be ready right now when elected to get to work for Vermont. We have no time to waste.”
Ram Hinsdale said she'll now seek reelection to the Vermont Senate.
"The only feeling better than wining is doing the right thing," she said. "And I just knew in my bones that this was the right thing and that I could continue to do wonderful work for Vermonters in the state senate.”
Have questions, comments or tips? Send us a message or get in touch with reporter Peter Hirschfeld:
_ | https://www.vpr.org/vpr-news/2022-05-27/major-shift-in-race-for-us-house-as-ram-hinsdale-drops-out-endorses-balint | 2022-05-27T18:34:51 | en | 0.978211 |
WILLIAMSBURG — Over Memorial Day weekend, Colonial Williamsburg is welcoming veterans and military families for free as part of their Honoring Service to America program.
The Historic Area is throwing open its doors to active-duty military, reservists, retirees, veterans, National Guard members and their immediate dependents from May 28-31.
On Monday, special salutes to the military include a traditional wreath-laying ceremony at 10 a.m. at Palace Green.. At 4:40 p.m., a bagpipe performance of “Salute to the Fallen” will be played on the roof deck of the Governor’s Palace.
Colonial Williamsburg will also honor Sgt. Talmadge Horton Alphin Jr. at a virtual commemoration event at 11 a.m. on their website. Alphin, whose grave marker was recently restored at Williamsburg Memorial Park, was the first bass drummer of the Fifes and Drums and was killed in Vietnam on August 23, 1968. The families of current Fifes and Drums members and the James Blair class of 1961 fundraised to repair the grave marker.
The Honoring Service to America program is funded by a $100,000 grant from The Home Depot Foundation in support of veterans and their families.
“Colonial Williamsburg has a long history of supporting military families,” said Earl Granger, chief development officer and vice president of development for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. “We are honored to continue this important legacy and grateful to The Home Depot Foundation for its continued support for the Honoring Service to America program.”
In addition to offering discounted admission, Colonial Williamsburg is offering military discounts on all hotels, dining, retail, conferences, golf and spa locations. Tickets are available onsite only.
More information is available at www.colonialwilliamsburg.com/memorialday.
Sian Wilkerson, sian.wilkerson@pilotonline.com, 757-342-6616 | https://www.pilotonline.com/virginiagazette/va-vg-cw-memorial-day-0528-20220527-su2t6akvezgnjij24lpbnasbve-story.html | 2022-05-27T18:34:52 | en | 0.955196 |
As climate warms, Pennsylvania wines aim to give France a run for their money
NEWTON, Penn. - Since he was a boy, Tom Carroll dreamed of turning his family’s 200-year-old horse farm into a vineyard and winery. The only issue was that the farm is in Newtown, Pennsylvania not Tuscany or Champagne or even New World Napa.
But that geographical fact did not dissuade the dreamer. He started Crossing Vineyards and Winery in 2000, planting the first block with his own hands.
"After 23 years now, the dream has become a reality. And we've seen the industry really take off here on the East Coast," Carroll proudly told FOX Weather’s Katie Byrne. "We kind of took a leap of faith. We ended up cranking out some pretty good wines. We won some big medals and awards internationally for our wine, and we're finally starting to get the recognition we deserve."
Winemakers like Carroll say the weather has changed since he was a kid, pushing ideal growing regions further north in our hemisphere.
HOW WEATHER CAN IMPACT WINE PRODUCTION
"We’ve noticed over the last several years there has been a trend to the warmer side," noted Carroll. "So we have noticed that our high temperature in the summer is little bit higher than it was in previous years."
He and his team planted the 20 acres largely with European varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay – not native grapes that evolved to succeed in the local weather and soil.
And he is not alone. The Wine Institute reports that the number of East Coast wineries tripled from 2000-2017.
HEAT TRAPPED BY GREENHOUSE GASES REACHED HIGHEST LEVEL YET IN 2021, SCIENTISTS SAY
"We’ve probably seen a couple more days added to each growing season," agrees Chris Pladsen, Vineyard Manager of Crossing Vineyards. "It gives us more time to get the grapes ripe and tasting amazing."
The traditional growing season runs from mid-March/early April to early October. Pladsen said he is OK with summer storms as a tradeoff for the great soil.
RELATED: Saving your wine one bite at a time: Oregon winery uses goats to fend off wildfires
"I think that's something that really surprises people. When you think of American-made wines, you're thinking California with a nice dry climate and really not so much Pennsylvania," Pladsen continued. "But we're actually at the same latitude as Burgundy, France. And the soil that we have here has been used for planting or used for farmland for a long time. So it's kind of ideal."
FARMERS FACE CLIMATE CHANGE BY RETHINKING THE AGE OLD PROFESSION
The Pennsylvania Wine Association claims on their website, "Pennsylvania has more than 14,000 acres of some of the most fertile grape-growing land on the East Coast." They liken the hot summers and cold winters to Europe's climate rather than California's.
2021 WAS WORLD'S 6TH WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD
"I tell people, pick your poison. Do you want drought? Do you want dry? Do you maybe want some wildfires or do you want to go with snow, rain and an occasional spotted lanternfly? Because that's some of the things we deal with here," adds Carroll. "I'm not going to lie. It's a challenge, but it depends when it rains. So if we look out and around that harvest window, if it stays dry, I think year to year we can do consistent quality."
NAPA VALLEY 2020: THE LOST VINTAGE
Crossing Vineyards' 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc won silver medals join the 2018 Critics Challenge International Wine Competition. And the 2014 Cab Franc won a gold medal in the 2017 Sommelier Challenge International Wines and Spirits competition. If you are looking
If you are looking for wines that are tougher to find in Napa or Burgundy, Crossings' Peach Wine won Best in Show for Fruit Wines in the 2018 Pennsylvania wine Competition.
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Find more updates on this story at FOXWeather.com. | https://www.fox5dc.com/news/as-climate-warms-pennsylvania-wines-aim-to-give-france-a-run-for-their-money | 2022-05-27T18:35:39 | en | 0.960548 |
Rajasthan Royals beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by seven wickets in IPL Qualifier 2, face Gujarat Titans in final.
Rajasthan Royals beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by seven wickets in IPL Qualifier 2, face Gujarat Titans in final.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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- Royal Challengers Bangalore
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Bipartisan group of senators talk expanded gun background checks, red flag laws
WASHINGTON - A bipartisan group of senators is considering how Congress should respond to the horrific shooting of 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas, restarting gun control talks that have broken down many times before.
Aware of the difficulty of their task, the Democrats and Republicans say they hope to find agreement on legislation that could help reduce the number of mass shootings in the United States. The Uvalde shooting came 10 days after a gunman opened fire in a racist attack killing Black people at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket.
Senators have narrowed the discussion to a few ideas, some of them based on legislation they have been working on for years, such as expanded background checks or red flag laws that keep guns away from people who could do harm. Led by Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, the group of 10 is hoping to negotiate a proposal over the Senate’s upcoming recess and have it ready for a vote at the beginning of June.
It is uncertain if the group can come to consensus, and even if they do, winning enough votes from Republicans could prove difficult, as most do not want to see changes in the nation’s gun laws. Democrats would need 10 Republican votes to overcome a filibuster and get a bill through the 50-50 Senate.
"Odds are against us, but we owe it to parents and kids to try," tweeted Murphy, who has been a lead advocate for stricter gun control since 20 children and six educators were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012.
Demonstrators during a rally calling for action on gun safety on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., US, on Thursday, May 26, 2022. In the wake of the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, in which 19 students and two teachers were killed, students across
A look at the proposals under consideration, and others that are not:
Red flag laws
Senators emerging from a bipartisan meeting Thursday were talking about the possibility of incentivizing states to pass red flag laws that take firearms away from people who may do harm to themselves or others.
Many states have adopted red flag laws, including Florida, which passed a law after the Parkland high school shooting in 2018, and Maine, which has a "yellow flag" law that requires a medical professional to sign off before guns were removed. Maine Sen. Susan Collins, a moderate Republican, has pushed for something similar on the federal level.
Republicans are unlikely to get on board with a red flag statute for the entire country. South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican who is also part of the group, said after the meeting that would be a non-starter, "whatever the color."
As an alternative, they are discussing whether federal grants could coax states into implementing such flag laws, an idea explored in past years by Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Marco Rubio, R-Fla. Blumenthal, who is working with Graham on the compromise proposal, said the "complicated and challenging part" will be figuring out what the standards are for removing guns from a person who is flagged.
Still, Blumenthal said "there is a powerful emotional element to the red flag statute that gives it momentum, especially after Uvalde and Buffalo, where the shooter indicated very strong signs that he was dangerous." The shooter in New York had been reported by his school, but the state’s red flag law was not triggered.
The House is planning to pass its own version of red flag legislation when it returns from a two-week recess on June 6.
Expanded background checks
Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Pat Toomey, R-Pa., have been trying for almost a decade to pass expanded background checks for all commercial gun sales, including at gun shows and on the internet. Under current law, background checks are required only when guns are purchased from federally licensed dealers.
The idea has wide public support, even among many gun owners, but the two senators have faced resistance from congressional Republicans who don’t want any changes, along with groups like the National Rifle Association. Various versions of the proposal have been repeatedly defeated in the Senate, including in 2013 after the Newtown massacre and in 2016 after a shooting in which 49 people were killed at an Orlando, Florida, nightclub.
RELATED: NRA opens gun convention in Texas after Uvalde school shooting
The House passed legislation last year that would expand background checks to almost all sales, including private sales. The senators have been in talks since then about crafting a version that could pass their chamber, but they have yet to come to agreement. Manchin says the House version goes too far and could interfere with informal sales between people who know each other.
Manchin and Toomey, who is retiring this year, are part of the Senate working group and are tasked with finding a compromise on their proposal — perhaps for the last time. Toomey said Thursday that the measure doesn’t have enough support to pass right now, "but I hope we’ll get there."
School security
Republicans who have traditionally opposed gun control have seized on the idea of "hardening" schools, giving money for more resources, law enforcement officers or even arming teachers.
Republican Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota suggested this week that Congress "promote direct funding for local units, to be able to have the resources available to add additional protections to offer a deterrence for these individuals."
Murphy said Thursday that he is "open" on adding funds for school security and that the working group is looking at what could be done along those lines. But Democrats have adamantly opposed arming teachers, and they say money for security is not enough.
List: The most deadly US mass school shootings
‘Charleston loophole’
A second bill passed by the House last year would extend the review period for background checks from three to 10 days. Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., introduced the legislation after a shooter killed nine people at a historic Black Charleston, South Carolina, church in 2015.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer started the process of bringing that bill to the Senate floor this week, but it does not appear to be a part of the Senate negotiations.
The FBI said after the Charleston shooting that a background check examiner never saw the shooter’s previous arrest report because the wrong arresting agency was listed in state criminal history records, and the gun dealer was legally permitted to complete the transaction after three days. Clyburn and other supporters of the legislation say it would fix that problem.
Republicans have overwhelmingly opposed the legislation, saying it could delay purchases for lawful gun owners.
RELATED: Gunman’s final 90 minutes fuel questions about police delays
Assault weapons ban
An assault weapons ban passed in the 1990s expired 10 years later, and Democrats have not been able to muster the votes to pass another one. The Senate rejected a renewed ban in 2013, along with the Manchin-Toomey proposal, after the Newtown shooting. Senators also rejected a ban on high-capacity magazines that year.
Biden last year proposed a ban on assault weapons and many Democrats believe that would be one of the most effective ways to curb mass shootings, since they almost always involve those types of weapons. But a ban has almost no support among Republicans and has not been a part of the discussions so far.
Murphy, who gave an impassioned speech on the Senate floor Tuesday as the news broke of the Texas shooting, has said he wants to start with proposals that are doable.
"There is a common denominator we can find," Murphy said. "There is a place where we can achieve agreement."
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RELATED: States divided along partisan lines in response to shootings | https://www.fox5dc.com/news/bipartisan-us-senators-gun-safety-meeting-expanded-gun-background-checks-red-flag-laws | 2022-05-27T18:35:45 | en | 0.971696 |
FOCUS-U.S. retailers' ballooning inventories set stage for deep discounts
Meanwhile, shoppers changed buying patterns, buying fewer home items while snapping up occasion-based clothing and other merchandise. Average retail inventories in the United States are rising at a faster pace than sales growth, according to Citi research on 18 retailers' first-quarter results as of May 22.
Major U.S. retailers that recently scrambled to restock shelves amid product shortages disclosed this week that their stores are now packed with too much merchandise, and some are even doing what was unthinkable just a few months ago: discounting unsold goods.
It's a sign of possible more trouble to come for retailers amid soaring inflation and higher gas prices. With shoppers' tastes quickly shifting, many retailers now find themselves with a surplus of merchandise, driving up costs. Costco Wholesale Corp said its inventories ballooned 26% in its fiscal third quarter ended May 8 that included a "few hundred million dollars" of extra holiday merchandise and being a "little heavy" on small appliances and household items.
At Gap Inc, a 34% spike in inventories was caused by poor sales at Old Navy and longer transit times for goods, CFO Katrina O'Connell said Thursday. Similarly, Macy's CEO Jeff Gennette this week cited an "imbalance" in inventory. "Supply chain constraints relaxed," resulting in it receiving goods from overseas earlier "than we expected," he said. Meanwhile, shoppers changed buying patterns, buying fewer home items while snapping up occasion-based clothing and other merchandise.
Average retail inventories in the United States are rising at a faster pace than sales growth, according to Citi research on 18 retailers' first-quarter results as of May 22. At 11 of the 18, inventories rose by 10 percentage points more than sales did, according to Citi analyst Paul Lejuez. That is the widest gap since before the coronavirus pandemic began, illustrating a trend that began in March 2022. During the supply-chain crisis, major retailers went on buying sprees, loading up on a range of merchandise and bulking up investments in merchandise so they would have enough goods in stock for shoppers flush with cash.
But the retailers’ moves backfired, according to executives and analysts. With inflation soaring and fuel prices jumping, shoppers retrenched quite rapidly, buying less clothing, TVs and high-margin appliances. That scenario is prompting retailers like Walmart and Macy’s to clear out excess inventories by discounting more items and offering deeper promotions, a move that would erode margins. Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said on its earnings call that it had started “aggressive” price rollbacks to encourage sales of some higher-margin goods, including apparel.
EXCESS MERCHANDISE As inflation lifted prices of everything from TVs to toothpaste, lower-income consumers have curbed their spending, according to Walmart and Target.
Higher-income shoppers have shown resiliency, snapping up suits, gowns and footwear and spending more on services, economic data and results from retailers that cater to more affluent households showed. Holding excess merchandise proves expensive as warehousing costs rise. Walmart store and distribution centers had 32% more merchandise, Target had 43% more goods compared to a year earlier and Best Buy had 9% more merchandise in the first quarter, the retailers said. Macy’s said on its earning call inventories rose 17% from the same period in 2021.
Macy's Chief Financial Officer Adrian Mitchell said on Thursday consumers' quick shift away from "pandemic categories" and receiving items sooner than expected, due to a loosening supply chain, resulted in higher inventories. He forecasted Macy's second-quarter gross margins to reach 2019 levels. Some anticipate that many retailers this year will start to discount more to clear out unsold merchandise. Macy's CFO' warned of "an elevated promotional environment," for example.
Data from research firm StyleSage showed mid-tier department stores, such as Macy's and Kohl's, stepped up price promotions in mid-May, implementing them on 57% of items. In the clothing category, retailers put in place discounts on 36% of items as of mid-May, up from 32% in the whole of April, according to StyleSage. The average discount, however, remained steady at 12% since January.
Kohl's offered eight promotions in the second week of May, versus three in the year-earlier period, according to research from Jane Hail Associates. Similarly, Walmart was offering up to 65% off on top-rated items and up to 25% of on tech and home goods during the week of May 9. At the same time last year, deals for tech products were just 10% and offers on home products were only for limited items.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Chili’s restaurants using robot servers to make jobs easier for workers
A robot may be greeting you at the door during your next visit to Chili’s Grill & Bar.
Addressing his company’s partnership with Bear Robotics, Brinker International SVP of Innovation Wade Allen told Fox News Digital that the focus of Rita the Robot is to make jobs "easier" for workers, and stressed that working in a restaurant is "harder than ever before."
"Two years ago, when we started this process, we had this vision of ‘how do we make it just easier for people to want to work in a restaurant?'" Allen said.
"Some of the biggest… most difficult tasks [are] carrying heavy dishes back and forth to the kitchen… walking back and forth a thousand steps, an hour… or more… That's huge volumes."
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Allen added that if a team member could take on fewer jobs and leave the more "mundane tasks" to Rita the Robot, it allows their staff to be more engaging with the guests while benefiting the restaurant altogether.
Rita the Robot has four primary tasks when working at the American restaurant chain – guiding guests to their tables, delivering food, carrying the dishes back and singing a birthday greeting for celebrations.
The robot was named Rita since Chili’s prides itself on making the "perfect" margaritas.
Since the robot servers were deemed successful in Chili’s, the franchise expanded Rita the Robot to 51 additional restaurants nationwide.
Despite the U.S. economy experiencing labor shortages across the country, Allen said the robot servers weren’t implemented due to limited staffing.
"The robots aren't autonomous," he explained. "It has to have a team member connected to it… you always have to have a team member there to work that robot, to get them to help and assist."
Since restaurants were one of the most hard-hitting industries impacted by the deadly coronavirus pandemic, Wade said that the challenge that the company faced was finding the best way to still serve customers. He noted that the company had "great systems" in place for delivery and take-out options that the business was able to "capitalize on."
Chili’s has seen positive reactions from the robot servers, according to Wade.
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"[Rita the Robot] is really fun for the guests," he concluded. "[Customers] see that the team members are embracing it… making jobs easier and making casual dining a better place for everybody."
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Iran says forces seize two Greek tankers
Iranian forces seized two Greek tankers in the Gulf on Friday, Iranian state media reported, shortly after Tehran warned it would take "punitive action" against Athens over the confiscation of Iranian oil by the United States from a tanker held off the Greek coast. "The Revolutionary Guards Navy today seized two Greek tankers for violations in Gulf waters," said a Guards statement, quoted by the state news agency IRNA.
Iranian forces seized two Greek tankers in the Gulf on Friday, Iranian state media reported, shortly after Tehran warned it would take "punitive action" against Athens over the confiscation of Iranian oil by the United States from a tanker held off the Greek coast.
"The Revolutionary Guards Navy today seized two Greek tankers for violations in Gulf waters," said a Guards statement, quoted by the state news agency IRNA. It gave no further details or say what the alleged violations were.
Greek authorities last month impounded the Iranian-flagged Pegas, with 19 Russian crew members on board, near the coast of the southern island of Evia due to EU sanctions. The United States later confiscated the Iranian oil cargo held onboard and plans to send it to the United States on another vessel, Reuters reported on Thursday.
The Pegas was later released because of confusion about the sanctions over its owners. Earlier on Friday, Nour News, which is affiliated to an Iranian state security body, said on Twitter: "Following the seizure of an Iranian tanker by the Greek government and the transfer of its oil to the Americans, #Iran has decided to take punitive action against #Greece."
It did not say what kind of action Iran would take. The Pegas was among five vessels designated by Washington on Feb. 22 - two days before Russia's invasion of Ukraine - for sanctions against Promsvyazbank, a bank viewed as critical to Russia's defence sector.
It was unclear whether the cargo was impounded because it was Iranian oil or due to the sanctions on the tanker over its Russian links. Iran and Russia face separate U.S. sanctions. Also on Friday, Iran summoned an envoy of Switzerland, which represents U.S. interests in Tehran, to protest against the Pegas oil seizure, the Iranian foreign ministry said.
"The Islamic Republic expressed its deep concern over the U.S. government's continued violation of international laws and international maritime conventions," state media quoted the foreign ministry as saying. A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Justice declined to comment on the oil seizure.
IRNA quoted Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization as saying the tanker had sought refuge along the Greek coast after experiencing technical problems and poor weather. It called the seizure of its cargo was "a clear example of piracy". The United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on what it described as a Russian-backed oil smuggling and money laundering network for Iran's Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force.
In 2019, Iran seized a British tanker near the Strait of Hormuz for alleged marine violations two weeks after British forces detained an Iranian tanker near Gibraltar, accusing it of shipping oil to Syria in violation of European Union sanctions. Both vessels were later released. (dubai.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com; editing by Angus MacSwan)
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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China and Russia veto new UN sanctions on North Korea
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - China and Russia vetoed a U.N. resolution sponsored by the United States on Thursday that would have imposed tough new sanctions on North Korea for its spate of intercontinental ballistic missile launches that can be used to deliver nuclear weapons.
The vote in the 15-member Security Council was 13-2 and marked the first serious division among the five veto-wielding permanent members of the U.N.’s most powerful body on a North Korea sanctions resolution.
A united Security Council imposed sanctions after North Korea’s first nuclear test explosion in 2006 and tightened them over the years in a total of 10 resolutions seeking -- so far unsuccessfully -- to rein in its nuclear and ballistic missile programs and cut off funding.
But China and Russia told the Security Council after the vote that they oppose more sanctions, stressing that what’s needed now is renewed dialogue between North Korea and the United States.
U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield expressed disappointment but not surprise at the vote, calling North Korea’s 23 ballistic missile launches this year, including six ICBMs after a five-year suspension, "a grave threat to international peace and security."
"The world faces a clear and present danger from the DPRK," she said, using the initials of the country’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and citing its continued pursuit of weapons of mass destruction.
In the last sanctions resolution adopted by the council in December 2017, members committed to further restricting petroleum exports to North Korea if it conducted a ballistic missile launch capable of reaching intercontinental ranges.
Before the vote, Thomas-Greenfield urged the council to fulfill its commitment and act against the North’s ICBM launches and its escalating nuclear program.
China’s U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun blamed the United States for not reciprocating North Korea’s "positive initiatives" during talks with the Trump administration in 2018 and 2019.
He said it’s the U.S.’ responsibility now to resume its dialogue with Pyongyang and find a political solution to the situation on the Korean Peninsula, where the 1950-53 war between North Korea and South Korea stopped with an armistice, not a peace treaty.
"The situation and peninsula has developed to what it is today thanks primarily to the flip-flop of U.S. policies and failure to uphold the results of previous dialogues," he said.
Faced with "persistent tension" on the Korean peninsula, Zhang said, "China has been calling on all parties to exercise calm and restraint and to desist from actions that could increase tension and lead to miscalculations." He said North Korea faces the harshest sanctions regime and instead of imposing new sanctions China and Russia have proposed lifting some sanctions to improve the dire humanitarian situation of North Koreans.
Earlier, Zhang alluded to the U.S. "pivot to Asia" aimed at countering the rise of China as an economic and military power and America’s most significant competitor.
"We do not want to see anyone make use of the DPRK situation or the Korean Peninsula situation as a card for their strategic or geopolitical agenda," he said. "We are completely against any attempt to make northeastern Asia a battlefield or to create confrontations or tensions there."
Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said Moscow had repeatedly told the U.S. that new sanctions against the DPRK were "a path to a dead end," and had also stressed "the ineffectiveness and the inhumanity of further strengthening the sanctions pressure on Pyongyang."
"The problems of security in the region, which also directly affect Russia, cannot be resolved through primitive and blunt means that have a direct impact on the population," he said. "Over the past year, we are seeing only a worsening of the situation on the (Korean) peninsula."
Nebenzia said Western nations have shifted the blame to North Korean authorities while completely ignoring Pyongyang’s repeated appeals to the United States to stop "its hostile activity which will open the path for dialogue."
Thomas-Greenfield, the U.N. envoy, retorted that it is the Security Council’s inaction that is "certainly enabling" North Korea’s escalation of its weapons programs. And she countered that the United States has made "serious, sustained efforts, publicly and privately, to pursue diplomacy with the DPRK without preconditions."
The U.S. and British envoys also expressed concern that North Korea will resume nuclear testing.
Britain’s deputy ambassador James Kariuki warned that two members seeking to keep the council silent will only embolden North Korea.
Standing with the ambassadors of Japan and South Korea after the meeting, Thomas-Greenfield read a joint statement calling the vetoes "dangerous" and saying they undermine not only the Security Council’s previous resolutions which Russia and China have committed to but "our collective security."
The three countries vowed not to remain silent and pledged to work together to protect the region and the world "from the DPRK’s continued and unprovoked escalations."
Wednesday’s announcement of the vote came hours after North Korea’s latest launches and followed Tuesday’s conclusion of U.S. President Joe Biden’s Asia trip aimed at reinforcing the U.S. pivot. It included stops in South Korea and Japan, where he reaffirmed America’s commitment to defend both allies in the face of the North’s nuclear threat.
Wednesday’s launches were the 17th round of DPRK missile firings this year. Experts have said North Korea wants to move ahead with its push to expand its arsenal and apply more pressure on its rivals to wrest sanctions relief and other concessions.
The resolution voted on Thursday would have reduced exports of crude oil to North Korea from 4 million barrels a year to 3 million barrels, and exports of refined petroleum products from 500,000 barrels a year to 375,000 barrels. It would also have banned the North’s exports of mineral fuels, mineral oils, mineral waxes. clocks, watches and their parts.
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The defeated resolution would also have imposed a global asset freeze on one individual and three companies including North Korea’s Lazarus Group which reportedly engages in "cyberespionage, data theft, monetary heists and destructive malware operations" against government, military, financial, manufacturing, publishing, media and entertainment institutions as well as shipping companies and critical infrastructure. | https://www.fox5dc.com/news/china-and-russia-veto-new-un-sanctions-on-north-korea | 2022-05-27T18:35:57 | en | 0.953451 |
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Federal judge dismisses Trump lawsuit against NY Attorney General James
NEW YORK - A federal judge on Friday dismissed Donald Trump’s lawsuit against New York Attorney General Letitia James, allowing her civil investigation into his business practices to continue.
In a 43-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Brenda Sannes said she based her decision on case law that, in most cases, bars federal judges from interfering in state-level investigations.
Sannes’ ruling came a day after a New York appeals court ruled that Trump must answer questions under oath in James’ probe, upholding a lower-court ruling requiring him to sit for a deposition.
"In a big victory, a federal court has dismissed Donald Trump’s baseless lawsuit to stop my office’s investigation into his and the Trump Organization’s financial dealings," James said in a tweet. "Frivolous lawsuits won’t stop us from completing our lawful, legitimate investigation."
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A message seeking comment was left with Trump's lawyers.
Trump sued James in December, just after she issued a subpoena for his testimony, resorting to a familiar but seldom successful strategy in an attempt to end the three-year investigation.
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Through his lawyers, the Republican former president alleged that the probe was political in nature and that James, a Democrat, had violated his constitutional rights in a "thinly-veiled effort to publicly malign Trump and his associates."
James responded that Trump’s lawsuit was a sudden "collateral attack" on her investigation and that there was no legal basis for it and no evidence to support his claim that the probe is purely political.
"No one in this country can pick and choose how the law applies to them, and Donald Trump is no exception. As we have said all along, we will continue this investigation undeterred," added James.
At a May 13 hearing that precipitated Sannes' ruling Friday, a lawyer for James' office said the probe is winding down and that evidence from it could support legal action against the former president, his company, or both.
The lawyer, Andrew Amer, said "there’s clearly been a substantial amount of evidence amassed that could support the filing of an enforcement proceeding," although a final determination on filing such an action has not been made.
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Amer, a special litigation counsel in James’ office, said the office is "nearing the end" of the civil investigation, which James has said uncovered evidence Trump’s company misstated the value of assets like skyscrapers and golf courses on financial statements for more than a decade. | https://www.fox5dc.com/news/federal-judge-dismisses-trump-lawsuit-against-ny-attorney-general-james | 2022-05-27T18:36:03 | en | 0.97476 |
Germany denies VW China investment guarantees over human rights concerns - Spiegel
Germany's Economy Ministry has refused to provide carmaker Volkswagen with guarantees to cover new investments in China because of concerns over human rights violations in the Xinjiang region, Der Spiegel reported on Friday. The ministry confirmed it had turned down four applications from a company over human rights concerns in Xinjiang but declined to name the company.
Germany's Economy Ministry has refused to provide carmaker Volkswagen with guarantees to cover new investments in China because of concerns over human rights violations in the Xinjiang region, Der Spiegel reported on Friday.
The ministry confirmed it had turned down four applications from a company over human rights concerns in Xinjiang but declined to name the company. Der Spiegel said, without naming sources, that Volkswagen was the company in question. "The human rights situation in Xinjiang has become worse in recent years and involves forced labour and mass internment of Uyghurs," the ministry said.
"The German government has therefore decided not to give guarantees for projects in China that are 1) in Xinjiang or 2) have business ties to entities operating there." Via a joint venture with China's SAIC Motor, Volkswagen has a plant in Urumqi, located in the Xinjiang region, where western countries and rights organisations say ethnic Uyghurs face torture and detention.
China has repeatedly denied any mistreatment of Uyghurs, describing alleged detention camps as vocational training facilities where people can "voluntarily" check themselves in to learn about law, Chinese language and vocational skills. A Volkswagen spokesperson confirmed that the company had submitted applications for investment guarantees in China, adding it had not yet received an official decision from the ministry.
The Volkswagen spokesperson said the applications were not for direct investments in the group's Xinjiang plant or anywhere near it, but that it could not be ruled out that a product made at a factory elsewhere in the country could end up in the region. Germany, which is scrambling to free itself of dependence on Russian gas after being caught on the hop by Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, is now reassessing its ties to China and will place greater weight on human rights, Economy Minister Robert Habeck said earlier this week.
Volkswagen said it follows the United Nations' guiding principles on business and human rights and that it was an integral part of the company's code of conduct.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Russia in spotlight over Ukraine atrocities as Human Rights Council meets | https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/business/2053285-germany-denies-vw-china-investment-guarantees-over-human-rights-concerns---spiegel | 2022-05-27T18:36:03 | en | 0.963415 |
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Harrison Ford reveals ‘Indiana Jones 5’ release date during Star Wars Celebration
LOS ANGELES - Christmas came early for "Indiana Jones" fans after Harrison Ford made a surprise appearance Thursday at the Lucasfilm panel at Star Wars Celebration to announce the release date for the latest installment in the iconic franchise.
"Indiana Jones 5" will hit theaters June 30, 2023, according to Ford, 79, who was approached the stage as composer John Williams and a live orchestra played the "Indy" theme from the beloved film, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Ford took a moment to honor Williams who will celebrate his 90th birthday in February.
"It’s a special honor for me to be able to congratulate John on his 90th birthday," Ford told the audience. "I told John on another occasion that we had the chance to be together, and that music follows me everywhere I go. And you know what? I’m happy about it."
The upcoming fifth installment features the heroic American archaeologist whose search for mythological artifacts lands him in the midst of potentially world-altering conflicts.
James Mangold, best known for films like "Logan" and "Ford v Ferrari," will direct the upcoming film, replacing Steven Spielberg, who directed the first four movies.
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Lankan PM Wickremesinghe expresses appreciation for India's support to crisis-hit nation
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- Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday expressed appreciation for the support India has been extending to his country during ''this difficult period''.
Wickremesinghe also said he is ''grateful'' for the positive response from India and Japan on the proposal made for the Quad members to take the lead in setting up a foreign aid consortium to assist the crisis-hit island nation.
Taking to Twitter, the prime minister said he had a conversation with India's finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday.
''I expressed our country's appreciation for the support India has extended during this difficult period. I look forward to further strengthening ties between our nations,'' he wrote.
In another tweet, Wickremesinghe said he is ''grateful'' for the positive response from India and Japan on the proposal made for the Quad members to take the lead in setting up a foreign aid consortium to assist Sri Lanka.
India and Japan have agreed to work together on assisting crisis-hit Sri Lanka, the Japanese government had said, following a recent meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida held on the sidelines of the Quad summit in Tokyo.
Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the two leaders had “discussed the situation in Sri Lanka and had confirmed that they will cooperate with each other in light of the current economic crisis and deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the country”, newswire.lk reported.
Japan’s announcement of collaborating with India to help Sri Lanka comes after Wickremesinghe earlier this month met with the ambassadors of the Quad nations -- India, Japan, the US and China -- and discussed the formation of an international forum for financial assistance to the debt-ridden island nation engulfed in the worst economic crisis since its independence in 1948.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka is in talks with India for a billion US dollar swap, and another 1.5 billion US dollars are expected from deferred payments under the Asian Clearing Union, Central Bank Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe was quoted as saying by a media report.
India has already deferred about 1.5 billion US dollars from payments due under the Asian Clearing Union to India on imports. Sri Lanka importers pay about USD 500 million every two months to the central bank to be remitted to India.
“They have agreed to defer that,” the EconomyNext website quoted the apex bank Governor as telling Parliament’s committee on public enterprises.
India has extended about $ 3.5 billion in assistance since January this year, by way of loan deferments and credit lines for essential imports.
India has committed more than USD 3 billion to debt-ridden Sri Lanka in loans, credit lines and credit swaps since January this year.
India's economic assistance package since January had kept Sri Lanka afloat in its worst economic crisis since independence. New Delhi provided credit lines for the purchase of fuel and essentials as Sri Lanka's foreign reserves depleted.
Earlier on Friday, India handed over 25 tonnes of medical supplies worth over USD 700,000 to Sri Lanka as part of its ongoing efforts to help the island nation combat its worst economic crisis and shortage of medicines.
The humanitarian supplies also include kerosene for use by Sri Lankan fishermen, the Indian High Commission tweeted, adding that these supplies will be distributed among the beneficiaries in the coming days.
Last month, India extended an additional USD 500 million credit line to help Sri Lanka import fuel as the country has been struggling to pay for imports after its foreign exchange reserves plummeted sharply in recent times, causing a devaluation of its currency and spiralling inflation.
Last week, India had sent urgent relief supplies comprising 9,000 metric tonnes (MT) of rice, 200 MT milk powder and 24 MT life-saving medicines with a combined value of Rs 45 crore to Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka is going through the worst economic crisis since independence in 1948. A crippling shortage of foreign reserves has led to long queues for fuel, cooking gas and other essentials while power cuts and soaring food prices heaped misery on the people.
The economic crisis has also triggered a political crisis in Sri Lanka and a demand for the resignation of the powerful Rajapaksas.
India has said that as an eternal and reliable friend of Sri Lanka, New Delhi is fully supportive of the island nation's democracy, stability and economic recovery.
In keeping with India's Neighbourhood First policy, New Delhi has extended this year alone support worth over USD 3.5 billion to the people of Sri Lanka for helping them overcome their current difficulties, the Ministry of External Affairs said on May 10.
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Housekeepers struggle as US hotels ditch daily room cleaning
HONOLULU - After guests checked out of a corner room at the Hilton Hawaiian Village resort on Waikiki beach, housekeeper Luz Espejo collected enough trash, some strewn under beds, to stuff seven large garbage bags.
She stripped the linens from the beds, wiped built-up dust off furniture and scrubbed away layers of grime on the toilet and bathtub. She even got on her hands and knees to pick confetti from the carpet that a heavy-duty vacuum failed to swallow up.
Like many other hotels across the United States, the Hilton Hawaiian Village has done away with daily housekeeping service, making what was already one of the toughest jobs in the hospitality industry even more grueling.
Industry insiders say the move away from daily cleaning, which gained traction during the pandemic, is driven by customer preferences. But others say it has more to do with profit and has allowed hotels to cut the number of housekeepers at a time when many of the mostly immigrant women who take those jobs are still reeling from lost work during coronavirus shutdowns.
Many housekeepers still employed say their hours have been cut and they are being asked to do far more work in that time.
"It's a big change for us," said Espejo, a 60-year-old originally from the Philippines who has cleaned rooms at the world's largest Hilton for 18 years, minus about a year she was laid off during the pandemic. "We are so busy at work now. We cannot finish cleaning our rooms."
Before the pandemic there were 670 housekeepers working at Espejo’s resort. More than two years later, 150 of them haven’t been hired back or are on-call status, spending each day from 5:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. waiting for a phone call saying there’s work for them. The number not hired back or on call stood at 300 just a few weeks ago.
"This is all about more money in the owners’ pocket by putting a greater workload on the frontline workers and eliminating jobs," said D. Taylor, president of UNITE HERE, a union representing hotel workers.
RELATED: Chili’s restaurants using robot servers to make jobs easier for workers
While some hotels started experimenting with less frequent cleaning in the name of sustainability, it became far more widespread early in the pandemic, when to promote social distancing and other safety protocols, many hotels switched to offering room cleaning only if a guest requested, and sometimes only after staying a certain number of days. Guests were instructed to leave trash outside their door and call the front desk for clean towels.
But even as safety restrictions fade and demand picks up as the country enters peak travel season, many hotels are keeping their new cleaning policies in place.
A spokesperson for the Hilton Hawaiian Village said no Hilton representative was available for an interview about such policies at any Hilton property. Representatives for several major hotel chains, including Marriott and Caesars Entertainment, either declined to be interviewed or didn't respond to Associated Press requests for comment.
Chip Rogers, president and CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, a trade group whose members include hotel brands, owners and management companies, said it was the demands of guests — not hotel profits — that guided decisions about pandemic housekeeper services.
"A lot of guests, to this day, don't want people coming into their room during their stay," he said. "To force something onto a guest that they don't want is the antithesis of what it means to work in the hospitality industry."
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The pandemic changed the standard of most hotel guests wanting daily cleaning, he said, adding it's not yet clear if that will result in a permanent shift.
Housekeeping policies vary based on the type of hotel, Rogers said, with luxury hotels tending to provide daily housekeeping unless guests opt out.
Ben McLeod, of Bend, Oregon, and his family didn’t request housekeeping during a four-night stay at the Westin Hapuna Beach Resort on Hawaii’s Big Island in March.
"My wife and I just have never really understood why there would be daily housekeeping ... when that’s not the case at home and it’s wasteful," he said.
He said he expects his kids to tidy up after themselves.
"I’m a Type-A, so I get out of bed and I make my bed, so I don’t need someone else to make my bed," he said.
Unionized hotel workers are trying get the message out that turning down daily room cleaning is hurting housekeepers and threatening jobs.
Martha Bonilla, who has spent 10 years working at the Caesars Atlantic City Hotel & Casino in New Jersey, said she wants guests to ask for daily cleaning, noting it makes her job less difficult. Even though hotels in New Jersey are required by law to offer daily cleaning, some guests still turn it down.
"When I come home from work now, the only thing I want to do is go to bed," said Bonilla, originally from the Dominican Republic and a single mother of a 6-year-old daughter. "I am physically exhausted."
It's not just partying guests like the ones who threw confetti around in Hawaii that leave behind filthy rooms, housekeepers say. Even with typical use, rooms left uncleaned for days become much harder to restore to the gleaming, pristine rooms guests expect when they check in.
Elvia Angulo, a housekeeper at the Oakland Marriott City Center for 17 years, is the main breadwinner in her family.
For the first year of the pandemic, she worked a day or two a month. She has regained her 40 hours a week, but with rooms no longer cleaned daily the number of people working each shift has been cut in half, from 25 to 12.
"Thank God I have seniority here so I now have my five days again, and my salary is the same," said Angulo, 54, who is from Mexico. "But the work really is now harder. If you don’t clean a room for five days you have five days of scum in the bathrooms. It’s scum over scum."
Many housekeepers still aren’t getting enough hours to qualify for benefits.
Sonia Guevara, who has worked at a Seattle Hilton for seven years, used to really enjoy the benefits at her job. But since returning to work after being laid off for 18 months, she hasn't qualified for health insurance.
"At first I was thinking to get a new job, but I feel like I want to wait," she said. "I want to see if my hours change at the hotel."
She said there are few other job options with hours conducive for having two children in school.
Now politicians are picking up on the issue, including Hawaii state Rep. Sonny Ganaden, who represents Kalihi, a Honolulu neighborhood where many hotel workers live.
"Almost every time I talk to people at their doors, I meet someone who works in a hotel and then we talk about how they are overworked and what is happening and working conditions," he said. "You've got a lot of first- and second-generation immigrant folks that are kind of left high and dry by these non-daily room cleaning requirements."
Ganaden is among the lawmakers who introduced a resolution requesting Hawaii hotels "immediately rehire or recall employees who were laid off or placed on leave" because of the pandemic.
If that's not enough, Ganaden said he would be open to more forceful measures like some other places have taken.
Washington, D.C.’s city council in April passed emergency legislation requiring hotels in the district to service rooms daily unless guests opt-out.
Amal Hligue, an immigrant from Morocco, hopes the rules mean more hours at the Washington Hilton where she has worked for 22 years. She needs them so her husband can get health insurance.
"I hope he has this month because I worked last month," she said.
At 57 years old, she doesn't want to find a new job. "I'm not young, you know," she said. "I have to stay."
___
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Snow reported from Phoenix. | https://www.fox5dc.com/news/housekeepers-struggle-as-us-hotels-ditch-daily-room-cleaning | 2022-05-27T18:36:15 | en | 0.979878 |
U.S. says GM Mexican plant workers vote shows bargaining benefits
- Country:
- United States
U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said Friday the vote by General Motors workers at a pickup truck plant in Mexico to approve a new contract "demonstrates the significant benefits of true collective bargaining."
Reuters reported earlier this month GM agreed to a 8.5% wage hike with a new, independent union at its plant in the central Mexican city of Silao. Tai said under labor protections under the USMCA trade deal that "workers no longer have to tolerate contracts negotiated behind their backs and have the right to vote on an agreement after it's negotiated."
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Mexican foreign minister to speak with Blinken, president says | https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/business/2053307-us-says-gm-mexican-plant-workers-vote-shows-bargaining-benefits | 2022-05-27T18:36:17 | en | 0.950387 |
NRA opens gun convention in Texas after Uvalde school shooting
HOUSTON - The National Rifle Association began its annual convention in Houston on Friday, three days after a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school on the other side of the state, renewing the national debate over gun violence.
Former President Donald Trump and other Republican leaders were scheduled to speak at the event. Leaders of the gun rights lobbying group planned to "reflect on" — and deflect any blame for — the school shooting in Uvalde. Protesters angry about gun violence planned to demonstrate outside.
Some scheduled speakers and performers have backed out, including two Texas lawmakers and "American Pie" singer Don McLean, who said "it would be disrespectful" to go ahead with his act in the aftermath of the country’s latest mass shooting. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said Friday morning that he had decided not to speak at an event breakfast after "prayerful consideration and discussion with NRA officials."
"While a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and an NRA member, I would not want my appearance today to bring any additional pain or grief to the families and all those suffering in Uvalde," he said in a statement. "This is a time to focus on the families, first and foremost."
The NRA said in an online statement that people attending the gun show would "reflect on" the Uvalde school shooting, "pray for the victims, recognize our patriotic members and pledge to redouble our commitment to making our schools secure."
RELATED: Texas School Shooting: Will the massacre in Uvalde break gun reform stalemate?
The meeting is the first for the troubled organization since 2019, following a two-year hiatus because of the pandemic. The organization has been trying to regroup following a period of serious legal and financial turmoil that included a failed bankruptcy effort, a class action lawsuit and a fraud investigation by New York's attorney general. Once among the most powerful political organizations in the country, the NRA has seen its influence wane following a significant drop in political spending.
FILE - Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president and chief executive officer of the National Rifle Association, speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Florida, on Feb. 24, 2022. Photographer: Tristan Wheelock/Blo
While President Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress have renewed calls for stricter gun laws in the wake of the Uvalde shooting, NRA board member Phil Journey and others attending the conference dismissed talk of banning or limiting access to firearms.
Gary Francis, who traveled with his wife and friends from Racine, Wisconsin, said he opposed new regulations in response to the Uvalde shooting.
"What happened there is obviously tragic," he said. "But the NRA had nothing to do with it. The people who come here had nothing to do with it."
Larry Miller, 56, from Huntington Beach, California, said he had no problem with the NRA meeting taking place after the Uvalde shooting. He called the shooting "very sad and unfortunate" and said the gunman didn't "have any respect for the people’s freedoms that we have here in this country."
"We all share these rights, so to be respectful of other people’s rights is to respect other people’s lives, and I think with that kind of mentality, we should be here," he said.
People planning to attend picked up registration badges and shopped for NRA souvenirs, such as T-shirts that say "Suns Out Guns Out." Police already had set up metal barriers at a large park where protesters and counterprotesters were expected to gather in front of the downtown convention center.
"I know emotions are high. It’s not going to change anything. We can be respectful," Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said at a news conference Thursday night.
Texas has experienced a series of mass shootings in recent years. During that time, the Republican-led Legislature and governor have relaxed gun laws.
There is precedent for the NRA to gather amid local mourning and controversy. The organization went ahead with a shortened version of its 1999 meeting in Denver roughly a week after the deadly shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado. Actor Charlton Heston, the NRA president at that time, told attendees that "horrible acts" shouldn’t become opportunities to limit constitutional rights and he denounced critics for casting NRA members as "villains."
Rocky Marshall, a former NRA board member, said that although the tragedy in Uvalde "does put the meeting in a bad light," that was not a reason to cancel it. Marshall said gun rights advocates and opponents can perhaps reduce gun violence if they focus on factors such as mental illness or school security.
"Throwing rocks at the NRA, that doesn’t solve the next mass shooting," he said. "Throwing rocks at the people that hate guns, that doesn’t solve the next mass shooting."
But country music singer Larry Gatlin, who pulled out of planned appearance, said he hoped "the NRA will rethink some of its outdated and ill-thought-out positions."
"While I agree with most of the positions held by the NRA, I have come to believe that, while background checks would not stop every madman with a gun, it is at the very least a step in the right direction," Gatlin said.
Country singers Lee Greenwood and Larry Stewart also withdrew, Variety reported.
RELATED: Husband of teacher killed in Texas school shooting dies from heart attack
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday that the NRA's leaders "are contributing to the problem of gun violence and not trying to solve it." She accused them of representing the interests of gun manufacturers, "who are marketing weapons of war to young adults."
In addition to Patrick, two Texas congressmen who had been scheduled speak Friday — U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw — were no longer attending due to what their staffs said were changes in their schedules. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who was to attend, was to address the convention by prerecorded video instead.
But others were going forward with their appearances, including Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Republican South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, and Trump, who said Wednesday that he would deliver "an important address to America.
"America needs real solutions and real leadership in this moment, not politicians and partisanship," he wrote on his social media platform.
In an interview Thursday on Salem radio network, Trump reiterated his support for gun rights.
"It’s you, know, interesting time to be making such a speech, frankly," he said. "You have to protect your Second Amendment. You have to give that Second Amendment great protection because, without it, we would be a very dangerous country, frankly. More dangerous."
Though personal firearms are allowed at the convention, the NRA said guns would not be permitted during the session featuring Trump because of Secret Service security protocols.
Democrat Beto O'Rourke, who is challenging Abbott in the 2022 Texas governor's race, said he would be attending the protest outside.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, a Democrat, said the city was obligated to host the NRA event, which has been under contract for more than two years. But he urged politicians to skip it.
"You can’t pray and send condolences on one day and then be going and championing guns on the next. That’s wrong," Turner said.
RELATED: Parents who lost children to gun violence expected to rally outside 2022 NRA Convention
___
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David A. Lieb reported from Jefferson City, Missouri. | https://www.fox5dc.com/news/houston-nra-convention-2022-days-after-uvalde-texas-school-shooting | 2022-05-27T18:36:21 | en | 0.979151 |
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Fire at building in Noida
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- India
A fire broke out at a multi-storey building near a market in Noida on Friday night, officials said.
The fire is suspected to have started from an ATM kiosk on the ground floor before it engulfed the building in the Bhangel area, the officials said.
''Fire service officials along with water tenders have been rushed to the spot. Efforts are underway to douse the fire,'' a local police official said.
Further details awaited.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Key inflation measure slowed in April for the first time since 2020
An inflation gauge closely tracked by the Federal Reserve rose 6.3% in April from a year earlier, the first slowdown since November 2020 and a sign that high prices may finally be moderating, at least for now.
The inflation figure that the Commerce Department reported Friday was below the four-decade high of 6.6% that was set in March. While high inflation is still causing hardships for millions of households, any slowing of price increases, if it can be sustained, will provide some modest relief.
The report also showed that consumer spending rose by a healthy 0.9% from March to April, outpacing the month-to-month inflation rate for a fourth straight time. The ongoing willingness of the nation's consumers to keep spending freely despite inflated prices is helping sustain the economy. Yet all that spending is helping keep prices high and could make the Fed's goal of taming inflation even harder.
Consumers' resilience in the face of sharply higher prices suggests that economic growth is rebounding in the current April-June quarter. The economy shrank at a 1.5% annual rate in the first quarter, mostly because of an increase in the trade deficit. But analysts now project that, on an annual basis, it's growing as much as 3% to 4% in the current quarter.
RELATED: Inflation hits rural towns: 'Groceries, utilities, gas, we’re seeing it everywhere'
High inflation appears to be forcing consumers, on average, to save less. The savings rate fell to 4.4% last month, the lowest level since 2008. But overall, Americans built up an additional $2.5 trillion in savings since the pandemic, and economists calculate that that pile is eroding only slowly. As a result, healthy spending could continue for months.
Friday's government report showed that on a month-to-month basis, prices rose 0.2% from March to April, down from the 0.9% increase from February to March. The April increase was the smallest since November 2020.
Gas prices fell in April, holding down inflation, though they have since surged again. The costs of clothing, appliances, and used cars also dropped from March to April.
Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, so-called core prices rose 0.3% from March to April, matching the previous month's rise. Core prices climbed 4.9% in April from a year earlier, the first such drop since October 2020.
Still, inflation remains painfully high, and it's inflicting a heavy burden in particular on lower-income households, many of them Black or Hispanic. Surging demand for furniture, appliances and other goods, combined with supply chain snarls, began sending prices surging about a year ago.
Consumers have shifted some of their spending from goods to services, like airline fares and entertainment tickets. That trend could help cool inflation in the months ahead, though it's unclear by how much. The cost of such services as restaurant meals, plane tickets and hotel rooms is also rising. Indeed, goods prices, which drove inflation sharply higher last year, fell 0.2% from March to April after jumping in the previous month, while the cost of services rose 0.5%.
Chair Jerome Powell has pledged to keep ratcheting up the Fed's key short-term interest rate until inflation is "coming down in a clear and convincing way." Those rate hikes have spurred fears that the Fed, in its drive to slow borrowing and spending, may push the economy into a recession. That concern has caused sharp drops in stock prices in the past two months, though markets have rallied this week.
RELATED: As inflation soars, one-third of Americans are experiencing financial stress: Survey
Powell has said the Fed is aiming for a "soft or soft-ish" landing, in which wages, consumer spending and growth slow, but the economy avoids a downturn. Most economists say that while such an outcome is plausible, they doubt it can be achieved.
A better-known inflation gauge, the consumer price index, earlier this month also reported a slowing in price gains. The CPI jumped 8.3% in April from a year earlier, down from a 40-year high in March of 8.5%.
Yet rising prices of gas and food, worsened by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, will keep measures of inflation painfully high at least into the summer. The national average price of a gallon of gas has reached $4.60, according to AAA. A year ago, it was $3.04.
Other trends, however, suggest that core inflation may continue to slow in the coming months. Retailers have reported rising stockpiles of televisions, patio furniture and other goods for the home as consumers have shifted their spending more toward travel and services-related goods like luggage and restaurant gift cards.
Those stores will likely have to offer discounts to clear inventory in the coming months. And auto manufacturers have been ramping up production as some supply chain snarls untangle and as they have managed to hire more workers. Both trends could help lower the prices of goods.
At the same time, higher pay for many workers, particularly at restaurants, hotels, and warehouses, will keep forcing up prices for services, which could at least partly offset the benefit of less-expensive goods.
And most economists forecast that inflation, as measured by the Fed’s preferred gauge, will still be at about 4% or higher by the end of this year. Price increases at that level would likely mean that the Fed will still raise interest rates to lower inflation to its 2% target.
The inflation measure reported Friday, called the personal consumption expenditures price index, differs in some ways from the consumer price index that help explain why it shows a lower inflation level than the CPI does. Rents, which are steadily rising, are given less weight in the PCE than in the CPI.
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Memorial Day: The origin of America's commemoration of fallen troops
The last Monday in May marks Memorial Day in the United States.
It’s more than just a three-day weekend. It’s the day Americans commemorate those who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the armed forces.
It’s a tradition that has evolved over the years. From Decoration Day to the Memorial Day we know today, here’s a look at its origins:
Where did Memorial Day begin?
Macon, Georgia; Richmond, Virginia; and Boalsburg, Pennsylvania are among the many cities claiming to be the birthplace of Memorial Day. Each of them has traditions of paying tribute to fallen troops dating back to the Civil War.
Even so, Waterloo, New York, is widely cited as the official birthplace of the holiday. Some argue the area had a more defined, widespread commemoration.
RELATED: Nebraska teen accepted to all five military academies; sets out to serve America
Decoration Day
Decoration Day was first celebrated on May 30, 1868. People honored those who had perished in war by decorating their graves with flowers.
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, General John A. Logan picked May 30 because that is when "flowers would be in bloom all over the country." The History Channel, however, notes that "according to legend, Logan chose May 30 because it was a rare day that didn’t fall on the anniversary of a Civil War battle."
Memorial Day
In the late 1800s, the name Memorial Day would become more popular, though it would officially maintain its Decoration Day identity until 1968.
After World War I, the ceremonies expanded to honor troops who had given their lives in all American wars.
In 1968, a government mandate placed the holiday on the last Monday in May. Three years later, it became an official nationwide observance.
Some veterans, however, were not pleased with the decision to move Memorial Day to the last Monday in May — fearing it would mark "the first long weekend of summer and not its intended purpose to honor the nation’s dead," the History Channel said.
ARLINGTON, VA - MAY 26: A member of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment places flags at the headstones of U.S. military personnel buried at Arlington National Cemetery, in preparation for Memorial Day, on May 26, 2022, in Arlington, Virginia. (Photo by Dr
Memorial Day vs. Veterans Day
Both Memorial Day and Veterans Day honor America’s troops, but Memorial Day is specifically for those who died in service.
Veterans Day is often more celebratory, while Memorial Day is meant to be a somber remembrance.
RELATED: Harold Billow, last known survivor of WWII POW massacre, dies at 99
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Editor’s note: A version of this story was originally published on May 28, 2021. It was reported from Atlanta. | https://www.fox5dc.com/news/memorial-day-origin-americas-commemoration-fallen-troops-decoration-day | 2022-05-27T18:36:34 | en | 0.968635 |
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Iran seizes two Greek tankers amid row over U.S oil grab
The United States later confiscated the Iranian oil cargo held onboard and plans to send it to the United States on another vessel, Reuters reported on Thursday. The Pegas was later released, but the seizure inflamed tensions at a delicate time, with Iran and world powers seeking to revive a nuclear deal that Washington abandoned under former President Donald Trump in favour of returning sanctions on Iran.
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Iranian forces seized two Greek tankers in the Gulf on Friday, shortly after Tehran warned it would take "punitive action" against Athens over the confiscation of Iranian oil by the United States from a tanker held off the Greek coast.
"The Revolutionary Guards Navy today seized two Greek tankers for violations in Gulf waters," said a Guards statement, quoted by Iranian state news agency IRNA. It gave no further details and did not say what the alleged violations were. Greece's foreign ministry said an Iranian navy helicopter landed on Greek flagged vessel Delta Poseidon, which was sailing in international waters, 22 nautical miles from the Iranian shore, and took the crew hostage, among them two Greek citizens.
It said a similar incident took place on another Greek-flagged vessel near Iran, without naming the ship, adding both actions violated international law and Greece had informed its allies, as well as complained to Iran's ambassador in Athens. Greece-based Delta Tankers, which operates the Delta Poseidon, could not be immediately reached for comment.
Greek authorities last month impounded the Iranian-flagged Pegas, with 19 Russian crew members on board, near the coast of the southern island of Evia due to European Union sanctions. The United States later confiscated the Iranian oil cargo held onboard and plans to send it to the United States on another vessel, Reuters reported on Thursday.
The Pegas was later released, but the seizure inflamed tensions at a delicate time, with Iran and world powers seeking to revive a nuclear deal that Washington abandoned under former President Donald Trump in favour of returning sanctions on Iran. Earlier on Friday, Nour News, which is affiliated to an Iranian state security body, said on Twitter: "Following the seizure of an Iranian tanker by the Greek government and the transfer of its oil to the Americans, #Iran has decided to take punitive action against #Greece."
It did not say what kind of action Iran would take. The Pegas was among five vessels designated by Washington on Feb. 22 - two days before Russia's invasion of Ukraine - for sanctions against Promsvyazbank, a bank viewed as critical to Russia's defence sector.
It was unclear whether the cargo was impounded because it was Iranian oil or due to the sanctions on the tanker over its Russian links. Iran and Russia face separate U.S. sanctions. NUCLEAR TALKS
A maritime security source said the other tanker seized on Friday was the Greek-flagged Prudent Warrior. Its operator, Greece-based shipping firm Polembros, told Reuters there had been "an incident" with one of its ships, without elaborating, adding it was "making every effort to resolve the issue." U.S. advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), which monitors Iran-related tanker traffic through ship and satellite tracking, said Prudent Warrior was carrying a cargo of Qatari and Iraqi oil, while the Delta Poseidon was loaded with Iraqi oil.
Each vessel was carrying approximately one million barrels, it said. "This should have direct implications on the JCPOA (Iran nuclear) negotiations and further stalling any chances of reviving a deal," Claire Jungman, chief of staff at UANI, told Reuters.
A spokesperson with the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain said it was aware of the reported seizures and was looking into them. Also on Friday, Iran summoned an envoy of Switzerland, which represents U.S. interests in Tehran, to protest against the Pegas oil seizure, the Iranian foreign ministry said.
"The Islamic Republic expressed its deep concern over the U.S. government's continued violation of international laws and international maritime conventions," state media quoted the foreign ministry as saying. A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Justice declined to comment on the oil seizure.
IRNA quoted Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization as saying the tanker had sought refuge along the Greek coast after experiencing technical problems and poor weather. It called the seizure of its cargo was "a clear example of piracy". The United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on what it described as a Russian-backed oil smuggling and money laundering network for Iran's Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force.
In 2019, Iran seized a British tanker near the Strait of Hormuz for alleged marine violations two weeks after British forces detained an Iranian tanker near Gibraltar, accusing it of shipping oil to Syria in violation of European Union sanctions. Both vessels were later released.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Microblogging platform Koo bets on rapid user base growth to overtake Twitter in India within one year | https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/business/2053323-iran-seizes-two-greek-tankers-amid-row-over-us-oil-grab | 2022-05-27T18:36:33 | en | 0.973053 |
Patricia Krenwinkel: Parole recommended for Charles Manson follower
SAN FRANCISCO - For the first time, a California parole panel on Thursday recommended the release of Patricia Krenwinkel more than five decades after she and other followers of cult leader Charles Manson terrorized the state.
Krenwinkel, 74, was convicted in the slayings of pregnant actor Sharon Tate and four other people in 1969. She helped kill grocer Leno LaBianca and his wife Rosemary the next night in what prosecutors say was an attempt by Manson to start a race war. Krenwinkel wrote "Helter Skelter" on a wall using the blood of one of their victims.
She was previously denied parole 14 times.
The new parole recommendation will be reviewed by the state parole board's legal division before likely going to Gov. Gavin Newsom for a decision within five months. He has previously rejected parole recommendations for other followers of Manson, who died in prison in 2017.
New laws since Krenwinkel was last denied parole in 2017 required the parole panel to consider that she committed the murders at a young age and is now an elderly prisoner.
Also, for the first time, Los Angeles County prosecutors weren’t at the parole hearing to object, under District Attorney George Gascón’s policy that prosecutors should not be involved in deciding whether prisoners are ready for release.
However, Krenwinkel’s attorney, Keith Wattley, said relatives of her victims offered the same objections at the hearing as prosecutors have in the past.
What was different this time was that the parole panel was willing to follow the law, he said, recognizing that she has had no disciplinary violations and is no longer a danger to society.
"She's completely transformed from the person she was when she committed this crime, which is all that it's supposed to take to be granted parole," he said.
"I’m hopeful that the governor recognizes that he shouldn’t be playing political games with people’s lives," Wattley said. "The governor would be blocking her parole not because he’s afraid of her, but because he doesn’t like her. And the law doesn’t allow that."
Susan Denise Atkins, (left), Patricia Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten (right), laugh after receiving the death sentence for their part in the Tate-LaBianca killing at the order of Charles Manson. (Credit: Getty Images)
Krenwinkel remains incarcerated at the California Institution for Women east of Los Angeles, where she first arrived in 1971. She became the state’s longest-serving female inmate when fellow Manson follower Susan Atkins died of cancer in prison in 2009.
Krenwinkel’s attorney said he understands she is also the longest-serving woman in the United States.
RELATED: Florida man claims to be Charles Manson's grandson in lawsuit
The Manson family murders
Charles Manson, a small-time career criminal who had reinvented himself as a hippie guru, dispatched a band of disaffected young followers on a deadly weekend rampage that would terrorize Los Angeles.
On that first night, Aug. 8, 1969, Manson sent a handful of his young, mostly female followers to the palatial hilltop estate of actress Sharon Tate with orders to kill everyone there. The 26-year-old actress and four friends were bludgeoned, shot and stabbed scores of times. Their blood was used to scrawl the words "Pigs" and "Helter Skelter" on the walls.
Tate, the wife of director Roman Polanski, was 8½ months pregnant, and her killers later testified that she pleaded in her last moments for her unborn baby’s life. Others killed were coffee heiress Abigail Folger, celebrity hairstylist Jay Sebring and Wojciech Frykowski, an aspiring screenwriter and friend of Polanski, who was out of town.
On the way into the estate, the attackers crossed paths with 19-year-old Steven Parent, who was leaving after visiting an acquaintance who lived in the guesthouse. Parent was shot to death.
The next night, Manson himself led a handful of followers to the home of wealthy grocer LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary, tying up the couple and leaving the others to butcher them with knives.
Authorities would say later that it was part of a plot Manson hatched to persuade gullible young followers to launch a race war that only he could hide them from. He’d gotten the premonition, they said, from a twisted interpretation of the Beatles song "Helter Skelter."
Manson died in 2017 of natural causes at a California hospital while serving a life sentence.
How did Patricia Krenwinkel meet Charles Manson?
Krenwinkel was a 19-year-old secretary living with her older sister when she met Manson, then age 33, at a party. She testified in 2016 that she soon left everything behind to follow him because she thought they might have a romantic relationship.
But Krenwinkel said Manson abused her physically and emotionally and trafficked her to other men for sex. She said she fled twice only to be brought back and that she was rarely left alone and usually was under the influence of drugs.
At her last parole hearing, Krenwinkel told how she repeatedly stabbed Abigail Folger, 26, heiress to a coffee fortune, at Tate’s home on Aug. 9, 1969.
The next night, she said Manson and his right-hand man, Charles "Tex" Watson, told her to "do something witchy," so she stabbed La Bianca in the stomach with a fork, then took a rag and wrote "Helter Skelter," ″Rise" and "Death to Pigs" on the walls with his blood.
She and other participants were initially sentenced to death. But they were resentenced to life with the possibility of parole after the death penalty in California was briefly ruled unconstitutional in 1972.
RELATED: Leslie Van Houten: Parole bid of Charles Manson follower denied again
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This story was reported from Cincinnati. The Associated Press contributed. | https://www.fox5dc.com/news/patricia-krenwinkel-charles-manson-follower-parole-recommended-2022 | 2022-05-27T18:36:40 | en | 0.977975 |
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U.S. says GM Mexican plant workers vote shows bargaining benefits
U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tai said Friday the vote by General Motors workers at a pickup truck plant in Mexico to approve a new contract "demonstrates the significant benefits of true collective bargaining." Reuters reported earlier this month GM agreed to an 8.5% wage hike with a new, independent union at its plant in the central Mexican city of Silao.
U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tai said Friday the vote by General Motors workers at a pickup truck plant in Mexico to approve a new contract "demonstrates the significant benefits of true collective bargaining." Reuters reported earlier this month GM agreed to an 8.5% wage hike with a new, independent union at its plant in the central Mexican city of Silao. Tai said under labor protections under the USMCA trade deal that "workers no longer have to tolerate contracts negotiated behind their backs and have the right to vote on an agreement after it's negotiated."
Workers voted Wednesday and Thursday to approve the contract, with 4,614 ballots in favor and 844 against, union SINTTIA said. GM declined immediate comment Friday. In May 2021, the USTR invoked powers under USMCA and asked Mexico to probe alleged abuses at the Silao plant after an April 2021 union contract vote.
Those powers "helped workers get to this vote, and the United States will continue to work with Mexico to protect worker rights," Tai said. The deal with SINTTIA also marks the first major raise since the start of USMCA.
Following a vote closely watched by U.S. officials, SINTTIA this year became the first independent union in the GM Silao plant's history, in an early test of USMCA labor rules. The pay deal appears to outstrip others recently struck by independent unions in Mexico's auto sector.
Nissan this year agreed to boost wages 6.5%, while last year Volkswagen agreed for a 5.5% raise. GM won key changes to USMCA that allowed it to continue to build hundreds of thousands of high-profit pickups in Mexico for export to the United States annually.
Under NAFTA, Mexican factory wages stagnated for more than two decades, in part because of a union system that made it hard for workers to organize freely.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Pending home sales slide for sixth straight month, slowest pace in nearly a decade
Pending home sales fell in April for the sixth month in a row, slowing to a pace not seen in nearly a decade as rising interest rates and high prices continue to curb demand.
The latest data from the National Association of Realtors released Thursday indicates signed contracts fell 3.9% in April from the month before to a two-year low of 99.3% on the organization's Pending Home Sales Index.
The decline is almost double the 2% drop analysts had expected, according to Refinitiv polling. Year-over-year, contracts were down by 9.1%.
"Pending contracts are telling, as they better reflect the timelier impact from higher mortgage rates than do closings," said Lawrence Yun, NAR's chief economist.
ASKING RENTS REACH RECORD HIGH IN APRIL, SOME AREAS SEE 30% SURGE IN PRICES
With mortgage rates upwards of 5% and continuing to climb, Yun expects existing home sales to continue to drop. "The escalating mortgage rates have bumped up the cost of purchasing a home by more than 25% from a year ago, while steeper home prices are adding another 15% to that figure," he says.
A sale pending sign is posted in front of a home for sale in San Francisco, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Homeowners locked in at lower rates are also opting not to sell, which is having an impact on already-low inventory.
"It’s not just the affordability contraction of demand that’s reducing the pace of sales in the housing market," says Mark Fleming, chief economist at First American. "There’s another ‘supply’ side to this story. Sellers are facing a prisoner's dilemma."
REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY ‘DESPERATE’ FOR MORE INVENTORY: CORCORAN CEO
"Existing homeowners are staying put," Fleming notes. "The average tenure length in the U.S. is over 10.5 years, and rising rates will further discourage existing homeowners from selling their homes. There is limited incentive to sell if it will cost more each month to borrow the same amount of money."
Contractors work on the roof of a house under construction in the Stillpointe subdivision in Sumter, South Carolina, U.S., on Tuesday, July 6, 2021. (Micah Green/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The sale of new homes also hit a two-year low in April, plunging 17% month-over-month, which was significantly more than the 1.7% drop analysts expected.
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Over 89K people got free rides on Delhi e-buses
The bus staff accounted for 7.31 per cent of the figure.On May 25, the next day after the flag off, Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot travelled in an electric bus and interacted with the passengers travelling in the bus about this new initiative, the statement said.I travelled in e-buses and am very happy to see the passengers accept the initiative so will.
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Over 89,000 commuters have travelled in Delhi's electric buses since they were flagged off by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, an official statement said on Friday.
The chief Minister had flagged off 150 e-buses on May 24.
The Delhi government had announced free travel for everyone in the e-buses from May 24 to 26 to promote clean mobility.
A total of 89,801 passengers rode on ebuses, out of which 51.73 per cent were men. The bus staff accounted for 7.31 per cent of the figure.
On May 25, the next day after the flag off, Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot travelled in an electric bus and interacted with the passengers travelling in the bus about this new initiative, the statement said.
''I travelled in e-buses and am very happy to see the passengers accept the initiative so will. Talking about the facilities of the bus to the travelling Delhiites, people called the electric buses to have the comfort of the metro itself,'' he said.
The minister said ''about one lakh people have travelled in electric buses for free on three days on 24, 25 and 26 May''. ''Out of which 40 per cent are women. In which about 12,000 thousand people travelled on the first day on May 24. On May 25, about 28,000 people travelled. Along with this, on May 26, about 52,000 people travelled for free,'' he said.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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States divided along partisan lines in response to shootings
OLYMPIA, Wash - Washington Gov. Jay Inslee was quick to react to this week’s carnage at a Texas elementary school, sending a tweet listing the gun control measures the Democratic-controlled state has taken. He finished with: "Your turn Congress."
But gun control measures are likely going nowhere in Congress, and they also have become increasingly scarce in most states. Aside from several Democratic-controlled states, the majority have taken no action on gun control in recent years or have moved aggressively to expand gun rights.
That’s because they are either controlled politically by Republicans who oppose gun restrictions or are politically divided, leading to stalemate.
"Here I am in a position where I can do something, I can introduce legislation, and yet to know that it almost certainly is not going to go anywhere is a feeling of helplessness," said state Sen. Greg Leding, a Democrat in the GOP-controlled Arkansas Legislature. He has pushed unsuccessfully for red flag laws that would allow authorities to remove firearms from those determined to be a danger to themselves or others.
After Tuesday's massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, that left 19 students and two teachers dead, Democratic governors and lawmakers across the country issued impassioned pleas for Congress and their own legislatures to pass gun restrictions. Republicans have mostly called for more efforts to address mental health and to shore up protections at schools, such as adding security guards.
Among them is Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who has repeatedly talked about mental health struggles among young people and said tougher gun laws in places like New York and California are ineffective. In Tennessee, GOP Rep. Jeremy Faison tweeted that the state needs to have security officers "in all of our schools," but stopped short of promising to introduce legislation during next year’s legislative session.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers has called for universal background checks and "red flag" laws, only to be ignored by the Republican-controlled Legislature.
FILE - In this screenshot from the DNCC’s livestream of the 2020 Democratic National Convention, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers addresses the virtual convention on Aug. 19, 2020. (DNCC via Getty Images)
"We cannot accept that gun violence just happens," Evers said in a tweet after the Texas school shooting. "We cannot accept that kids might go to school and never come home. We cannot accept the outright refusal of elected officials to act."
On Wednesday, a day after the shooting, legislative Democrats asked that the Wisconsin gun safety bills be taken up again, to no avail. Instead, state Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, a Republican, told The Associated Press on Thursday that he is open to the idea of arming teachers to better protect schools, along with adding police and armed security guards.
In New Hampshire, the Republican-led House on Thursday rejected an effort to reintroduce legislation that would have required criminal background checks for commercial firearms sales.
Democratic state Rep. Debra Altschiller said there have been dozens of mass shootings nationwide since the bill was defeated in March.
"We can make a change so we don’t have to live like this," she said, her remarks met by boos from some of her colleagues.
Their jeering turned to applause when Republican Rep. Terry Roy said voters don’t want further gun control: "We should not ever, ever use tragedy to push legislation," he said.
An effort on Wednesday by Democratic lawmakers in Pennsylvania's GOP-controlled Legislature to ban owning, selling or making high-capacity, semi-automatic firearms also failed, as House Republicans displayed their firm opposition to gun restrictions.
The situation is similar in Michigan, where Republicans have majorities in the Legislature. Democrats in the state Senate were thwarted Wednesday in their efforts to advance a group of bills that would have required gun owners to lock up their firearms and keep them away from minors.
"Every day we don’t take action, we are choosing guns over children," said Democratic Sen. Rosemary Bayer, whose district includes a high school where a teenager was charged in a shooting that killed four in November and whose parents are charged with involuntary manslaughter, accused of failing to lock up their gun.
Republican state Sen. Ken Horn responded by urging discussion about other potential causes of gun violence.
"I would just point out that there are political solutions, but there are just as many spiritual solutions," he said. "We don’t know what’s really happening in this world, what’s happening in this country, what’s happening to young men."
Florida stands out as a Republican-controlled state that took action. The 2018 shooting at a high school in Parkland that left 14 students and three staff members dead prompted lawmakers there to pass a law with a red flag provision that lets law enforcement officers petition a court to confiscate guns from a person considered a threat.
Democrats want that expanded to allow family members or roommates to make the same request of the courts, but there has been little appetite among Republicans to amend the law. Instead, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis said he wants lawmakers to allow people to carry handguns without a permit. The state currently requires a concealed weapons license.
FILE - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during the first day of the Conservative Political Action Conference CPAC on Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022 in Orlando, Fla. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
While Republicans have supported red flag laws in some other states, most legislative action around gun control in recent years has been in states led by Democrats.
In Washington state, the governor earlier this year signed a package of bills related to firearm magazine limits, ghost guns and adding more locations where guns are prohibited, including ballot counting sites.
In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom and top Democratic legislative leaders on Wednesday vowed to fast-track gun legislation, identifying about a dozen bills they plan to pass this year. Newsom highlighted a bill that would let private citizens enforce a ban on assault weapons by filing lawsuits – similar to a law in Texas that bans most abortions through civil enforcement.
FILE - California Governor Gavin Newsom attends the Berggruen Prize Gala at Berggruen Hearst Estate on May 04, 2022 in Beverly Hills, Calif. (David Livingston/Getty Images)
Oregon's Democratically controlled Legislature has passed bills that require background checks, prohibit guns on public school grounds, allow firearms to be taken from those who pose a risk and ensure safe storage of firearms. On Wednesday, a group of six Democrats pledged additional action after the mass shooting in Texas and the racially motivated massacre in Buffalo, New York.
"We ran for office to solve big problems and make life better for our constituents — and that includes taking on the gun lobby and politicians that place profits and political power over children’s lives," they said in a joint statement.
But there are limits even in some Democratic-controlled states, underscoring the challenge of gaining consensus to combat the rising frequency of mass shootings in the U.S.
Rhode Island has passed restrictions in recent years that include measures to ban firearms from school grounds and close the "straw purchasing" loophole that had allowed people to buy guns for someone else. But bills that would ban high-capacity ammunition magazines and assault weapons have been bottled up in committee, in part because the overwhelmingly Democratic chamber includes many lawmakers who have opposed the measures, citing their support for the Second Amendment.
In Connecticut, gun violence legislation supported by both parties passed soon after 20 children and six staff members were shot and killed at Sandy Hook Elementary Schoo l in 2012. But additional gun control measures stalled this year in the Democratic-led General Assembly, in large part because of a short legislative session and threats by Republicans to hold up legislation through a filibuster.
Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont said Wednesday he’s uncertain whether he will call a special session on the bills. They would put limits on bulk purchases of firearms and require the registration of so-called ghost guns, untraceable firearms that can be assembled at home.
"I think it’s become an incredibly partisan argument right now in our society," Lamont said. "It wasn’t that way, you know, 30, 40 years ago. So that is disturbing, even in a state like Connecticut, where after Sandy Hook we had strong bipartisan support."
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DeMillo reported from Little Rock, Arkansas. Associated Press statehouse reporters from around the U.S. contributed to this report. | https://www.fox5dc.com/news/states-divided-along-partisan-lines-in-response-to-shootings | 2022-05-27T18:36:52 | en | 0.965074 |
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FOCUS-U.S. retailers' ballooning inventories set stage for deep discounts
Major U.S. retailers that recently scrambled to restock shelves amid product shortages disclosed this week that their stores are now packed with too much merchandise, and some are even doing what was unthinkable just a few months ago: discounting unsold goods. It's a sign of possible more trouble to come for retailers amid soaring inflation and higher gas prices. With shoppers' tastes quickly shifting, many retailers now find themselves with a surplus of merchandise, driving up costs.
Costco Wholesale Corp said its inventories ballooned 26% in its fiscal third quarter ended May 8 that included a "few hundred million dollars" of extra holiday merchandise and being a "little heavy" on small appliances and household items. At Gap Inc, a 34% spike in inventories was caused by poor sales at Old Navy and longer transit times for goods, CFO Katrina O'Connell said Thursday.
Similarly, Macy's CEO Jeff Gennette this week cited an "imbalance" in inventory. "Supply chain constraints relaxed," resulting in it receiving goods from overseas earlier "than we expected," he said. Meanwhile, shoppers changed buying patterns, buying fewer home items while snapping up occasion-based clothing and other merchandise. Average retail inventories in the United States are rising at a faster pace than sales growth, according to Citi research on 18 retailers' first-quarter results as of May 22. At 11 of the 18, inventories rose by 10 percentage points more than sales did, according to Citi analyst Paul Lejuez. That is the widest gap since before the coronavirus pandemic began, illustrating a trend that began in March 2022.
During the supply-chain crisis, major retailers went on buying sprees, loading up on a range of merchandise and bulking up investments in merchandise so they would have enough goods in stock for shoppers flush with cash due to stimulus checks. But the retailers’ moves backfired, according to executives and analysts. With inflation soaring and fuel prices jumping, shoppers retrenched quite rapidly, buying less clothing, TVs and high-margin appliances.
That scenario is prompting retailers like Walmart and Macy’s to clear out excess inventories by discounting more items and offering deeper promotions, a move that could erode margins. Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said on its earnings call that it had started "aggressive" price rollbacks to boost sales of some higher-margin goods, including apparel. To be sure, retailers are still battling high costs of sourcing goods and hiring workers, which could limit the breadth and depth of promotions they offer, The Roosevelt Investment Group's Senior Portfolio Manager Jason Benowitz said.
"You will see some discounting and it will be more than last year but ultimately it will be held back by the still high cost of sourcing inventories and labor," said Benowitz, whose firm holds shares in Amazon.com Inc, Ross Stores and Autozone Inc. EXCESS MERCHANDISE
As inflation lifted prices of everything from TVs to toothpaste, some lower-income consumers have curbed their spending, according to Walmart and Target. Higher-income shoppers have shown resiliency, snapping up suits, gowns and footwear and spending more on services, economic data and results from retailers that cater to more affluent households showed.
Holding excess merchandise proves expensive as warehousing costs rise. Walmart store and distribution centers had 32% more merchandise, Target had 43% more goods compared to a year earlier and Best Buy had 9% more merchandise in the first quarter, the retailers said. Macy’s said on its earning call inventories rose 17% from the same period in 2021. Macy's Chief Financial Officer Adrian Mitchell said on Thursday consumers' quick shift away from "pandemic categories" and receiving items sooner than expected, due to a loosening supply chain, resulted in higher inventories. He forecasted Macy's second-quarter gross margins to reach 2019 levels.
Some anticipate that many retailers this year will start to discount more to clear out unsold merchandise. Macy's CFO' warned of "an elevated promotional environment," for example. Data from research firm StyleSage showed mid-tier department stores, such as Macy's and Kohl's, stepped up price promotions in mid-May, implementing them on 57% of items.
In the clothing category, retailers put in place discounts on 36% of items as of mid-May, up from 32% in the whole of April, according to StyleSage. The average discount, however, remained steady at 12% since January. Kohl's offered eight promotions in the second week of May, versus three in the year-earlier period, according to research from Jane Hali & Associates.
Similarly, Walmart was offering up to 65% off on top-rated items and up to 25% of on tech and home goods during the week of May 9. At the same time last year, deals for tech products were just 10% and offers on home products were only on select items.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick cancels NRA convention appearance
HOUSTON - Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick canceled an appearance at the National Rifle Association convention in the wake of the school shooting in Uvalde this week.
"After prayerful consideration and discussion with NRA officials, I have decided not to speak at the NRA breakfast this morning," Lt. Patrick said in a statement.
MORE: NRA convention begins in Houston: Speakers, security measures, and protests
The NRA’s three-day convention began in Houston on Friday, just days after the school shooting that left 19 students and two teachers dead.
"While a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and an NRA member, I would not want my appearance today to bring any additional pain or grief to the families and all those suffering in Uvalde," Lt. Patrick said in the statement. "This is a time to focus on the families, first and foremost."
Some other scheduled speakers and performers have also backed out in recent days.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott will no longer attend in-person, and will address the convention in a prerecorded video, Fox News reports. According to the governor’s office, he will be in Uvalde on Friday.
RELATED: 'American Pie' singer Don McLean pulls out of NRA convention
"American Pie" singer Don McLean, who was scheduled to perform, said "it would be disrespectful" to go ahead with his act in the aftermath of the country’s latest mass shooting.
Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, was listed as a speaker, and former President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he still intends to attend. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, is also sticking to her plans to speak Friday at the NRA event.
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Texas official: Kids repeatedly called 911 asking for help during school shooting
UVALDE, Texas - Nearly 20 officers stood in a hallway outside of the classrooms during this week's attack on a Texas elementary school for more than 45 minutes before agents used a master key to open a door and confront a gunman, authorities said Friday.
The on-site commander believed the gunman, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, was barricaded in a classroom at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde during Tuesday's attack and that the children were not at risk, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw said at a news conference.
"He was convinced at the time that there was no more threat to the children and that the subject was barricaded and that they had time to organize" to get into the classroom, McCraw said.
"Of course it was not the right decision. It was the wrong decision," he said.
A police officer stands near a makeshift memorial for the shooting victims outside Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on May 27, 2022. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)
McCraw said U.S. Border Patrol agents eventually used a master key to open the locked door of the classroom where they confronted and killed Ramos, who killed 19 students and two teachers.
McCraw said there was a barrage of gunfire shortly after Ramos entered the classroom where they killed Ramos but that shots were "sporadic" for much of the 48 minutes while officers waited outside the hallway. He said investigators do not know if or how many children died during those 48 minutes.
Throughout the attack, teachers and children repeatedly called 911 asking for help, including a girl who pleaded: "Please send the police now," McCraw said.
Questions have mounted over the amount of time it took officers to enter the school to confront the gunman.
It was 11:28 a.m. Tuesday when Ramos' Ford pickup slammed into a ditch behind the low-slung Texas school and the driver jumped out carrying an AR-15-style rifle.
Twelve minutes after that, authorities say, the 18-year-old Ramos entered the halls of Robb Elementary School and found his way to a fourth-grade classroom, where he killed 19 students and two teachers in a still-unexplained spasm of violence.
But it wasn't until 12:58 p.m. that law enforcement radio chatter said Ramos had been killed and the siege was over.
RELATED: The Uvalde School District had a 21-point plan to keep kids safe
What happened in those 90 minutes, in a working-class neighborhood near the edge of the town of Uvalde, has fueled mounting public anger and scrutiny over law enforcement's response to Tuesday's rampage.
"They say they rushed in," said Javier Cazares, whose fourth-grade daughter, Jacklyn Cazares, was killed in the attack, and who raced to the school as the massacre unfolded. "We didn’t see that."
Friday's update on the attack's timeline came only after authorities declined to explain why officers had not been able to stop the shooter sooner, with Victor Escalon, regional director for the Texas Department of Public Safety, telling reporters Thursday that he had "taken all those questions into consideration," but was not ready to answer them.
The Thursday briefing, called by Texas safety officials to clarify the timeline of the attack, provided bits of previously unknown information. But by the time it ended, it had added to the troubling questions surrounding the attack, including about the time it took police to reach the scene and confront the gunman, and the apparent failure to lock a school door he entered.
After two days of providing often conflicting information, investigators said that a school district police officer was not inside the school when Ramos arrived, and, contrary to their previous reports, the officer had not confronted Ramos outside the building.
Instead, they sketched out a timeline notable for unexplained delays by law enforcement.
After crashing his truck, Ramos fired on two people coming out of a nearby funeral home, Escalon said. He then entered the school "unobstructed" through an apparently unlocked door at about 11:40 a.m.
But the first police officers did not arrive on the scene until 12 minutes after the crash and did not enter the school to pursue the shooter until four minutes after that. Inside, they were driven back by gunfire from Ramos and took cover, Escalon said.
The gunman was still inside at 12:10 p.m. when the first U.S. Marshals Service deputies arrived. They had raced to the school from nearly 70 miles (113 kilometers) away in the border town of Del Rio, the agency said in a tweet Friday.
The crisis came to an end after a group of Border Patrol tactical officers entered the school at 12:45 p.m., said Texas Department of Public Safety spokesperson Travis Considine. They engaged in a shootout with the gunman, who was holed up in the fourth-grade classroom. Moments before 1 p.m., he was dead.
Escalon said that during that time, the officers called for backup, negotiators and tactical teams, while evacuating students and teachers.
Ken Trump, president of the consulting firm National School Safety and Security Services, said the length of the timeline raised questions.
"Based on best practices, it’s very difficult to understand why there were any types of delays, particularly when you get into reports of 40 minutes and up of going in to neutralize that shooter," he said.
The photo of Makenna Lee Elrod, a little girl victim of the shooting, is seen by flowers placed on a makeshift memorial in front of Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on May 25, 2022. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)
Many other details of the case and the response remained murky. The motive for the massacre — the nation's deadliest school shooting since Newtown, Connecticut, almost a decade ago — remained under investigation, with authorities saying Ramos had no known criminal or mental health history.
During the siege, frustrated onlookers urged police officers to charge into the school, according to witnesses.
"Go in there! Go in there!" women shouted at the officers soon after the attack began, said Juan Carranza, 24, who watched the scene from outside a house across the street.
Carranza said the officers should have entered the school sooner: "There were more of them. There was just one of him."
Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz did not give a timeline but said repeatedly that the tactical officers from his agency who arrived at the school did not hesitate. He said they moved rapidly to enter the building, lining up in a "stack" behind an agent holding up a shield.
"What we wanted to make sure is to act quickly, act swiftly, and that's exactly what those agents did," Ortiz told Fox News.
RELATED: Husband of teacher killed in Texas school shooting dies from heart attack
But a law enforcement official said that once in the building, the agents had trouble breaching the classroom door and had to get a staff member to open the room with a key. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk publicly about the investigation.
Department of Public Safety spokesman Lt. Christopher Olivarez told CNN that investigators were trying to establish whether the classroom was, in fact, locked or barricaded in some way.
Cazares said that when he arrived, he saw two officers outside the school and about five others escorting students out of the building. But 15 or 20 minutes passed before the arrival of officers with shields, equipped to confront the gunman, he said.
As more parents flocked to the school, he and others pressed police to act, Cazares said. He heard about four gunshots before he and the others were ordered back to a parking lot.
"A lot of us were arguing with the police, ‘You all need to go in there. You all need to do your jobs.’ Their response was, ‘We can’t do our jobs because you guys are interfering,’" Cazares said.
As for the armed school officer, he was driving nearby but was not on campus when Ramos crashed his truck, according to a law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the case and spoke of condition of anonymity.
Investigators have concluded that the school officer was not positioned between the school and Ramos, leaving him unable to confront the shooter before he entered the building, the law enforcement official said.
UVALDE, TEXAS - MAY 26: People visit memorials for victims of Tuesday's mass shooting at a Texas elementary school, in City of Uvalde Town Square on May 26, 2022, in Uvalde, Texas. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Michael Dorn, executive director of Safe Havens International, which works to make schools safer, cautioned that it’s hard to get a clear understanding of the facts soon after a shooting.
"The information we have a couple of weeks after an event is usually quite different than what we get in the first day or two. And even that is usually quite inaccurate," Dorn said. For catastrophic events, "you’re usually eight to 12 months out before you really have a decent picture."
RELATED: Bipartisan group of senators talk expanded gun background checks, red flag laws
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Bleiberg reported from Dallas. | https://www.fox5dc.com/news/texas-school-shooter-social-media-posts-hinted-uvalde-robb-elementary-attack | 2022-05-27T18:36:59 | en | 0.983625 |
Twitter shareholders sue Musk, say he ‘deflated’ stock price
SAN FRANCISCO - Twitter shareholders have filed a lawsuit accusing Elon Musk of engaged in "unlawful conduct" aimed at sowing doubt about his bid to buy the social media company.
The lawsuit filed late Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California claims the billionaire Tesla CEO has sought to drive down Twitter’s stock price because he wants to walk away from the deal or negotiate a substantially lower purchase price.
San Francisco-based Twitter is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit, which seeks class action status as well as compensation for damages.
A representative for Musk did not immediately respond to a message for comment on Thursday. Twitter declined to comment.
Musk last month offered to buy Twitter for $44 billion, but later said the deal can’t go forward until the company provides information about how many accounts on the platform are spam or bots.
The lawsuit notes, however, that Musk waived due diligence for his "take it or leave it" offer to buy Twitter. That means he waived his right to look at the company’s non-public finances.
In addition, the problem of bots and fake accounts on Twitter is nothing new. The company paid $809.5 million last year to settle claims it was overstating its growth rate and monthly user figures. Twitter has also disclosed its bot estimates to the Securities and Exchange Commission for years, while also cautioning that its estimate might be too low.
To fund some of the acquisition, Musk has been selling Tesla stock and shares in the electric carmaker have lost nearly a third of their value since the deal was announced on April 25.
In response to the plunging value of Tesla’s shares, the Twitter shareholders’ lawsuit claims Musk has been denigrating Twitter, violating both the non-disparagement and non-disclosure clauses of his contract with the company.
"In doing so, Musk hoped to drive down Twitter’s stock price and then use that as a pretext to attempt to re-negotiate the buyout," according to the lawsuit.
Twitter’s shares closed Thursday at $39.54, 27% below Musk’s $54.20 offer price.
Before announcing his bid to buy Twitter, Musk disclosed in early April that he had bought a 9% stake in the company. But the lawsuit says Musk did not disclose the stake within the timeframe required by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
And the lawsuit says his eventual disclosure of the stake to the SEC was "false and misleading" because he used a form meant for "passive investors" — which Musk at the time was not, because he had been offered a position on Twitter’s board and was interested in buying the company.
Musk benefited by more than $156 million from his failure to disclose his increased stake on time, since Twitter’s stock price could have been higher had investors known Musk was increasing his holdings, the lawsuit claims.
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"By delaying his disclosure of his stake in Twitter, Musk engaged in market manipulation and bought Twitter stock at an artificially low price," the lawsuit says. | https://www.fox5dc.com/news/twitter-shareholders-sue-musk-say-he-deflated-stock-price | 2022-05-27T18:37:05 | en | 0.986478 |
South Africa: Gupta brothers' associate Ronica Ragavan arrested, faces money laundering charges
- Country:
- South Africa
Indian-origin South African Ronica Ragavan, who played a key role in the activities of the now self-exiled Gupta brothers who are facing extradition from Dubai for allegedly looting billions of rands, is facing money laundering charges.
Described as a stalwart “lackey” of the Gupta family by former colleagues, Ragavan was arrested together with another Indian-origin employee of the Guptas, Pushpaveni Govender, and former mineral resources department deputy director-general Joel Raphela, who were all granted bail earlier this week.
They face charges of money laundering related to two mining operations once owned by the Gupta family, which has been fingered by the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture as having illegally siphoned off billions from state-owned enterprises, including the cash-strapped national electricity supplier Eskom and rail operator Transnet.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has promised more arrests as they step up their investigations.
''The country can expect more of these priority state capture cases to be enrolled soon. The Investigating Directorate, working with the support of the Hawks, is committed to ensuring that those responsible for corruption and facilitating state capture are held criminally accountable and that it will work steadfastly to claw stolen funds back to the fiscus,'' Sindisiwe Seboka, spokesperson for the NPA’s Investigating Directorate, told local media.
The NPA wants to try the Gupta brothers -- Ajay, Atul and Rajesh -- for their alleged involvement in billions of rands siphoned off from state institutions through their closeness to former President Jacob Zuma.
South Africa is awaiting the outcome of an extradition application to Dubai.
The Guptas, their wives and some other associates have been declared persona non-gratia in the US and the UK.
Among the allegations made at the Commission were that the Guptas informed people about imminent Cabinet positions even before Zuma did so as president.
The three arrested Gupta associates are accused of looting 107.5 million rands from the environmental rehabilitation trust funds of the Optimum and Koornfontein mines, which were purchased by the Gupta family from Eskom in a bailout operation.
The mining companies, as well as other Gupta businesses, went into business rescue when all banks, including the Bank of Baroda (BoB), closed all their accounts after news of the state looting broke.
Ragavan’s meteoric rise from an administrative position at the Gupta head office in Johannesburg to director of several of its companies and acting CEO of all its operations when the family fled the country in 2016 raised some eyebrows.
Ragavan was one of the co-accused in a separate trial related to money laundering for a failed dairy farm project in Free State province, which was allegedly used to fund the multi-million-rand wedding of a Gupta scion at Sun City.
She is also noted for having attempted to force BoB to retain accounts of Gupta companies when all South African banks refused to deal with them. BoB subsequently shut down its South African operations, citing a global downscaling as the reason.
Ragavan had also initiated a BoB home loan application for one of the wives of former president Zuma, who is currently facing a long-delayed corruption trial.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Cricket-South Africa batsman Hamza banned for nine months over pill mix-up | https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/business/2053363-south-africa-gupta-brothers-associate-ronica-ragavan-arrested-faces-money-laundering-charges | 2022-05-27T18:37:05 | en | 0.971946 |
Uvalde, Texas school shooting timeline: How the massacre at Robb Elementary unfolded
UVALDE, Texas - Authorities investigating the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas, have updated the timeline of events that led to the massacre of 19 children and two teachers.
Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw said Friday that nearly 20 officers were in a hallway outside of the classrooms for more than 45 minutes before agents used a master key to open a door and confront the gunman, Salvador Ramos.
The on-site commander believed the gunman was barricaded in a classroom at the school during Tuesday's attack and that the children were not at risk.
"Of course it was not the right decision. It was the wrong decision," McCraw said.
RELATED: Texas official: Kids repeatedly called 911 asking for help during school shooting
A student inside the classroom repeatedly called 911, at one point pleading to "please send the police now."
Timeline of shooting
Director and Colonel of the Texas Department of Public Safety Steven C. McCraw attends a press conference outside Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on May 27, 2022. - (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)
Here’s a timeline of events that led to the shooting, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety:
- 11:27: The exterior door where the shooter entered the school was propped open by a teacher.
- 11:28: Ramos crashed a vehicle into a ditch. At that time, a teacher ran to room 132 to get a phone, then walked back to the exit door that remained propped open. There were two males at a nearby funeral home who approached the crash scene, but they ran when Ramos began shooting at them. That’s when the teacher called 911 from inside the school and said there was a crash and a man with a gun.
- 11:31 Ramos reached the last row of vehicles in the school parking lot and began shooting at the school while patrol vehicles arrived at the funeral home.
- 11:33: Ramos entered the school and began shooting into room 111 or room 112. He shot more than 100 rounds at that time.
- 11:35: Three Uvalde police officers entered the school using the same door as Ramos. They were followed by another four officers from the Uvalde PD, along with a deputy sheriff. At that time, there were seven officers on scene. The first three who arrived went to the door, and two were grazed with bullets while the door was closed.
- 11:37: Another 16 rounds were fired inside the classroom.
- 11:51: More police and U.S. Border Patrol agents arrived.
- 12:03: There were as many as 19 officers in the hallway at this time.
- 12:15: More officers arrived with shields.
- 12:21: Ramos fired more shots, believed to be at the door. At this time, law enforcement moved down the hallway. It would be another 30 minutes before they entered the classroom.
- 12:50: Officers got a set of keys from a janitor, unlocked the classroom door and then killed Ramos.
Timeline of 911 calls from inside the classroom
A man mourns at a makeshift memorial for the Robb Elementary School shooting victims outside the Uvalde County Courthouse in Texas on May 27, 2022. - (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)
McCraw also gave a timeline of the multiple 911 calls made from inside the classrooms. He warned: "It’s better that I read it to you than you listen to it."
- 12:03: A student inside room 112 called 911. The call lasted 1 minute and 23 seconds.
- 12:10: The same student called back and said multiple people were dead.
- 12:13: She called again.
- 12:16: The student called 911 again and said eight or nine students were alive.
- 12:19: Another student called 911 from room 111. She hung up when another student told her to.
- 12:21: Three shots were fired and heard on a 911 call.
- 12:36: The original student called back. She was told to stay on the line and be quiet.
- 12:37: The child asked 911 operators to send police.
- 12:46: The student said she could hear police next door.
- 12:50: Shots were fired.
- 12:51: The 911 call got loud, and it sounded like officers were moving children out of the classroom. At that time, the first child who called was brought outside and the call was cut off.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report. | https://www.fox5dc.com/news/uvalde-texas-school-shooting-timeline-how-the-massacre-at-robb-elementary-unfolded | 2022-05-27T18:37:11 | en | 0.983313 |
Bubs Australia plans to ship at least 1.25 mln baby formula cans to U.S., says FDA
The shortage is partly due to Abbott Laboratories' manufacturing plant in Michigan recalling some products including Similac in February. Abbott said on Tuesday it plans to restart production at the facility on June 4, adding it would prioritize making EleCare and supplying it on or about June 20.
Bubs Australia Ltd plans to ship at least 1.25 million cans of its baby formula to the United States to help ease a nationwide shortage, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Friday. Some of the baby formula is currently in stock for transport and more will be produced by the Australian company in the coming weeks and months, according to the FDA.
Bubs' supply is another import allowed by the FDA as part of its regulatory flexibility started earlier this month in an attempt to mitigate one of the biggest baby formula shortages in recent history. The shortage is partly due to Abbott Laboratories' manufacturing plant in Michigan recalling some products including Similac in February.
Abbott said on Tuesday it plans to restart production at the facility on June 4, adding it would prioritize making EleCare and supplying it on or about June 20.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Woman killed man who fired rifle into party crowd, police say
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - A woman in West Virginia fatally shot a man who began firing an AR-15-style rifle into a crowd of people that had gathered for a party, authorities said.
Dennis Butler, 37, was killed Wednesday night after he pulled out the rifle and began shooting at dozens of people attending the birthday-graduation party outside an apartment complex in the city of Charleston, police said in a statement.
The woman, who was attending the party, drew a pistol and fired, killing Butler, the statement said. No one at the party was injured.
"Instead of running from the threat, she engaged with the threat and saved several lives last night," Chief of Detectives Tony Hazelett told news outlets Thursday.
Butler was at the apartment complex earlier in the evening in a vehicle and had been warned to slow down because children were playing, police said. They said he left, but returned later, parked in front of the complex and began firing.
After fatally shooting Butler, the woman waited along with several witnesses for police to arrive, and all have cooperated with the investigation, authorities said.
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Hazelett said no charges would be filed against the woman. | https://www.fox5dc.com/news/woman-killed-man-fired-rifle-crowd | 2022-05-27T18:37:17 | en | 0.988064 |
Many of us have a vitamin D deficiency and don't know it, researchers say
Almost half of us, worldwide, suffer from a vitamin D deficiency. And before you go running for the sun, that may not necessarily be the cure.
The weather is warming up, the days are getting longer and even though we are spending more time outdoors, doctors still say it isn't enough. More than 42% of Americans are not getting enough of the vitamin that our skin produces from sunlight, a 2011 medical study "Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency" found.
About two-thirds of the U.S. doesn’t even get enough sun during most months to supply the necessary amount of vitamin D. North of the 37th parallel, people only get enough sun for skin to make the amount of vitamin D needed during the summer, according to a research article, "Time for more vitamin D". The line of 37 degrees latitude runs about from San Francisco east through Tulsa and Nashville to Washington.
Research papers have described this problem, known as hypovitaminosis D, as "an ignored epidemic" and a "pandemic of hypovitaminosis D."
"Vitamin D deficiency is a very serious issue for me and my patients," said FOX News medical contributor Dr. Janette Nesheiwat. "Vitamin D levels can affect so much of our body and our functioning and how we feel. It can affect our digestive system, sleep, mood, energy or vitamin and mineral levels in our bodies."
Vitamin D enables our bodies to absorb calcium which our bodies need for bone and muscle strength. More recent studies suggest a link of low vitamin levels to more than a dozen cancers, heart disease, periodontal disease, autoimmune disease, chronic skin conditions, obesity, depression and Alzheimer's disease. Severe deficits can lead to rickets in children (soft bones, bowed legs, stunted growth and bone pain) and osteoporosis (bone weakening) in adults. In contrast, adequate levels may protect our brains from toxic chemicals and reduce pain.
People with dark skin are more susceptible to lower than normal levels. Up to 82% of Blacks and 69% of Hispanics don’t have enough vitamin D, researchers found. A paper in the Journal of Human Evolution stated that dark skin needs five to six times the amount of sun a pale person needs for the same natural vitamin production.
"Many Americans are deficient in vitamin D both due to lack of sunlight and lack of proper nutrition," said Nesheiwat. "Some people are more prone to deficiency than others, for example, people that work indoors, i.e. doctors who work 14-15 hour shifts, or people who do not eat healthy."
People with Crohn’s and celiac disease, those who’ve taken long-term medicines for heartburn and reflux, are older (older skin is not as efficient at making vitamin D), have had gastric bypass surgery and/or are obese have high rates of deficiency, too.
An article published by Harvard Medical School stated that, under the right circumstances, humans need 10-15 minutes of sun every few days on their body, including arms and legs, without sunscreen to theoretically produce enough D.
More sun may not be the answer
Getting enough sun can be difficult depending on where you live, as well as dangerous. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as little as 15 minutes of bright sun can damage unprotected skin.
Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the U.S. and about 9,500 Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer every day, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.
"If you eat a good, well-balanced diet you should have enough vitamins and minerals and not need to take supplements," said Nesheiwat.
By 1932, most producers fortified milk with vitamin D to prevent rickets. Orange juice and cereal manufacturers followed suit. Fatty fish like salmon and tuna, cod liver oil, beef liver, pork/duck fat, eel, caviar and eggs are naturally rich sources of vitamin D, but may not be a regular staple in most diets in the U.S.
Many doctors recommend supplements of 600-800 IU (international units) daily. Consult your doctor on the amount you need and the recommended type of supplement. Two studies in the Journal of the Medical Association showed that very high doses of vitamin D in older women contributed to more falls and more than 4,000 IU a day is potentially unsafe and toxic.
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Kids called 911 from classroom during Texas massacre as police waited outside - official
There were as many as 19 officers in the hallway by 12:03 p.m., McCraw said - the same time that the first 911 call from inside the classroom was received. Videos that emerged on Thursday showed frantic parents urging police to storm the school during the attack, with some having to be restrained by police.
Panicked children and teachers placed half a dozen calls to 911 emergency services from the Texas classrooms where a massacre was unfolding, pleading for police to intervene, while roughly 20 officers waited in a hallway for nearly an hour before entering the room, authorities said on Friday. At least two children called the 911 emergency number from the two connecting classrooms after 18-year-old Salvador Ramos entered with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, according to Colonel Steven McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety.
The on-site commander, the chief of the school district's police department in Uvalde, Texas, believed Ramos was barricaded inside the classroom and that children were no longer at risk, giving police time to prepare, McCraw said. "From the benefit of hindsight where I'm sitting now, of course, it was not the right decision," McCraw said. "It was the wrong decision."
Some of the students trapped in the classrooms with the gunman survived the massacre, including at least two who called 911, McCraw said, though he did not offer a specific tally. Someone whom McCraw did not identify called the 911 line multiple times starting at 12:03 p.m., telling police in a whisper that there were multiple dead and that there were still "eight to nine" students alive, the colonel said. One student called at 12:47 p.m. and asked the operator to "please send the police now."
Officers did not go into the classroom until 12:50 p.m., according to McCraw, when the U.S. Border Patrol tactical team used keys from a janitor to open the locked door and kill Ramos. Several officers had an initial exchange of gunfire with Ramos shortly after he entered the school at 11:33 a.m., when two officers were grazed by bullets. There were as many as 19 officers in the hallway by 12:03 p.m., McCraw said - the same time that the first 911 call from inside the classroom was received.
Videos that emerged on Thursday showed frantic parents urging police to storm the school during the attack, with some having to be restrained by police. Standard security protocols advise police to confront an active school shooter without delay, a point McCraw conceded on Friday.
"When there's an active shooter, the rules change," he said. Police recovered 142 spent rounds inside the school from Ramos' rifle, as well as nearly two dozen more on school property outside the building, McCraw said.
In total, Ramos had 60 magazines and 1,657 rounds, including some left in his truck when he crashed it outside the school before the attack and two magazines recovered at his residence.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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- McCraw
- Salvador Ramos
- Ramos
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Two people in Exeter are being vaccinated against monkeypox after potential exposure to the virus. It comes as the total number of recent confirmed cases in England reaches 101.
Medical director of University Hospitals Bristol and Weston, Stuart Walker, confirmed that three people from the South West had been potentially exposed to monkeypox elsewhere, and then had come back to the region. Two people in Exeter and one individual in Bristol are those affected. The individuals are being administered with smallpox vaccinations - used to treat monkeypox.
At a meeting of the hospitals' trust board today, Prof Walker explained how health bosses were working through how to provide testing, vaccinations and prepare for potential hospital admissions if patients became seriously ill.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), who are at the forefront of protecting the British public from infectious diseases and other health threats, has described the outbreak as "significant and concerning". The body has issued symptoms to look out for and says the risk to the wider population remains low.
The latest figures come as a health expert warns that NHS 111 is being overloaded with calls from people with rashes who are worried they have the disease.
Dr Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at the UKHSA, said: “We are continuing to promptly identify further Monkeypox cases in England through our extensive surveillance and contact tracing networks, our vigilant NHS services, and thanks to people coming forward with symptoms.
“We are asking people to look out for new spots, ulcers or blisters on any part of their body. If anyone suspects they might have these, particularly if they have recently had a new sexual partner, they should limit their contact with others and contact NHS 111 or their local sexual health service as soon as possible, though please phone ahead before attending in person.”
Get the best stories about the things you love most curated by us and delivered to your inbox every day. Choose what you love here | https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/two-people-exeter-potentially-exposed-7138301 | 2022-05-27T18:37:25 | en | 0.974344 |
'NordicsInIndia' hold workshops on circular, bio-based economy
- Country:
- India
In a bid to explore research and innovative collaboration opportunities, the Nordic-India Innovation Partnership Project (NordicsInIndia) on Friday held theme-based workshops under sustainable, circular and bio-based economy. The project, funded by Nordic Council of Ministers, Pune University and Bangalore Bioinnovation Centre, aims to promote and showcase Nordic research-based innovations and solutions to encourage a green transition in India, said the organisers in a statement. NordicsInIndia builds collaboration among the science and technology counsellors at the four Nordic embassies -- Norway, Finland, Denmark, and Sweden -- with Norway as coordinator. The Nordic Centre in India is facilitating this event on behalf of NordicsinIndia.
''The workshops in Bengaluru catered to the strong need to set up research collaborations among leading research agencies and universities from Nordic countries and India to develop next-generation circular economy solutions and added value for the society that can be tested in local conditions,'' said Maan Singh Sidhu, coordinator of the project NordicsInIndia.
A similar workshop was also held in Pune on Thursday.
According to Ambassador of Sweden to India Klas Molin, the Swedish government's innovation partnership programmes are designed to help find innovative solutions to the societal challenges of today and tomorrow. ''A shift to a circular economy is a priority area in the Sweden-India Joint Innovation Partnership for a Sustainable Future and a key component of our joint quest for green recovery,'' said the Ambassador in a statement. The invited stakeholders in the workshop included government authorities, leading companies, and key research and technical institutes with an ambition to establish relationships and joint innovation and research projects. Earlier this year, Prof K VijayRaghavan, former principal scientific advisor to the government, had chaired a high-level 'Science and Innovation Dialogue' on sustainable, circular, and bio-based economy to provide a platform for peer-to-peer discussions in innovation, technology, policy for experts from the government, academia, and industry from India and Nordic countries. PTI MG SRY
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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- The Nordic Centre
- NordicsInIndia builds
- Prof K VijayRaghavan
- Norway
- Nordic Council of Ministers
- Pune University
- Finland
- Denmark
- Nordic-India Innovation Partnership Project
- Molin
- Bengaluru
- Nordic
- Sweden
- India
- NordicsinIndia
- 'Science and Innovation Dialogue'
- Bangalore
- Swedish
- Pune
- Maan Singh Sidhu
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Cricket-Bangalore's Hesson hails 'chase master' Kohli after crucial win | https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/education/2053354-nordicsinindia-hold-workshops-on-circular-bio-based-economy | 2022-05-27T18:37:28 | en | 0.897523 |
'War Pony' poodle fetches Palm Dog prize at Cannes
Film buffs have to wait until Saturday for the Cannes Film Festival's top prize, the Palme d'Or, but the real scene-stealers get their awards a day earlier – at the annual Palm Dog ceremony. Britney, a standard poodle who stars in Riley Keough's directorial debut "War Pony", was crowned top dog this year, snagging the coveted gilded collar prize.
Film buffs have to wait until Saturday for the Cannes Film Festival's top prize, the Palme d'Or, but the real scene-stealers get their awards a day earlier – at the annual Palm Dog ceremony.
Britney, a standard poodle who stars in Riley Keough's directorial debut "War Pony", was crowned top dog this year, snagging the coveted gilded collar prize. Britney, who plays a well-loved character called Beast, was unable to attend the ceremony, but two elaborately-coiffed poodles stood in to receive her prize.
Keough and co-director Gina Gammell accepted the award via pre-recorded video, saying they were "so honoured". Dogs of all shapes and sizes – including a number of seasoned veterans of the popular event – flocked to the beach along the palm tree-lined Croisette in the southern French city to take in the ceremony, greeting fellow furry-haired friends with wagging tales and nose bumps, and breaking out into rounds of barking when the audience clapped.
Founded in 2001 by film journalist Toby Rose, the Palm Dog award honours to top dogs on the screen, with categories including jury prize and the so-called "Palm DogManitarian", celebrating the bond between people and their canine companions. This year's dogmanitarian was Patron, a Jack Russell terrier in Kyiv who detects bombs with his nose.
Patron, who was also honoured with a medal by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy earlier this month, was unable to travel to Cannes for his Palm Dog collar. Luckily, lookalike Opium was on hand to accept the award in his place. A new award was added this year, the Elvis Palm Hound Dog – a nod to Baz Luhrmann's "Elvis" biopic, a top festival draw. It went to Titane, a sharp-muzzled mutt with pointy ears.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Britney Spears, Sam Asghari announce miscarriage: We have lost our miracle baby | https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/entertainment/2053304-war-pony-poodle-fetches-palm-dog-prize-at-cannes | 2022-05-27T18:37:36 | en | 0.963393 |
Haryana Police busts extortion gang in Panchkula, ASI among 3 held
- Country:
- India
The Haryana Police on Friday said it has busted an extortion gang in Panchkula district with the arrest of three people, including an assistant sub-inspector.
The gang used to trap their targets in the name of loans and extort money from them by threatening to implicate them in false cases, Panchkula Commissioner of Police Hanif Qureshi said in an official release.
The accused have been identified as Anil Bhalla, Narendra Khillan, residents of Panchkula and an ASI Gurmez Singh, Incharge of Police Post, Sector-2, Panchkula.
Akash Bhalla, another member of the gang, is absconding.
In a complaint, Sanjeev Garg, a Panchkula resident, said Anil Bhalla had taken Rs 45 lakh from him as loan.
When the complainant demanded his money back, Anil Bhalla allegedly threatened to kill him and also get him implicated in some false case.
Probe revealed that the accused, in connivance with the police personnel, filed a false case against the complainant and demanded money from him.
Qureshi said there have been several complaints against Bhalla in different cases.
Bhalla, who works as a financer, used to blackmail gullible people by getting them to sign blank papers in the name of loans and usurp their property by threatening to implicate them in false cases, said police. PTI CHS VSD CK
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) | https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/entertainment/2053308-haryana-police-busts-extortion-gang-in-panchkula-asi-among-3-held | 2022-05-27T18:37:43 | en | 0.968469 |
Model found hanging in Kolkata, third incident in fortnight; experts say rising suicides in showbiz worrying
A model was found hanging from the ceiling of a room at her residence in Kolkatas Patuli area on Friday, the third such suspected case of suicide in the metropolis in a fortnight, with stakeholders of the showbiz industry and psychologists voicing concern over the rise in such incidents and the pressures of the profession.Manjusha Niyogi, 26, who was found hanging earlier in the day, attempted to die by suicide earlier as well, police said.
- Country:
- India
A model was found hanging from the ceiling of a room at her residence in Kolkata's Patuli area on Friday, the third such suspected case of suicide in the metropolis in a fortnight, with stakeholders of the showbiz industry and psychologists voicing concern over the rise in such incidents and the pressures of the profession.
Manjusha Niyogi, 26, who was found hanging earlier in the day, attempted to die by suicide earlier as well, police said. Her friend and colleague Bidisha De Majumder, a popular face in bridal make-up photoshoots, died under similar circumstances inside her rented apartment in Dumdum area on Wednesday evening.
''My daughter was severely depressed after Bidisha's death and was constantly talking about her since then,'' Niyogi's mother said.
Television actor Pallabi Dey was also found hanging inside an apartment she had taken on rent in Garfa area on May 15.
Police said Niyogi was an ambitious woman who wanted to quickly establish a firm footing in the entertainment industry, but was depressed, possibly for being unable to do so.
''Manjusha had spoken to her husband and family members about her depression. She was saved by a friend during a suicide bid on an earlier occasion,” a police officer said.
Police has summoned her husband, Ramnath Banerjee, a resident of Behala, for questioning.
''We have come to know that Ramnath and Manjusha had a heated exchange of words yesterday. Police will interrogate her husband for more details,” the officer said.
The back-to-back deaths have created a flutter in the showbiz industry, with many veterans pointing out that survival in the world of glitz and glamour is no mean task, and young men and women only look at the shimmer side, unaware of what lies in the underbelly.
Actress Indrani Halder said that initial days in the industry could be tough for many.
''There are times when opportunities dry up. It is difficult getting through such phases. I, too, experienced such situations in the past. Suicide, however, never crossed my mind,” the national award-winning actress said.
According to fashion designer Agnimitra Paul, youths sometimes find it difficult to handle the sudden exposure to the glamour world and the fast-paced life. She said the COVID-19 pandemic was a big blow for the industry, which caused insecurity and frustration among a section of young models. ''Diagnosing the symptoms of depression and counselling at the outset is important. Many of us don't recognise mental illness as an illness. This attitude has to change,” Paul, who is also a senior BJP leader, told PTI.
Model Shubhomita (42), who goes by her first name, however, said there was no dearth of work for the talented ones.
''It is sad that 21-22 year-old women are ending their lives over factors that can’t be reason enough. There is enough work for talented individuals. One should wait for the right opportunity. Fees may vary, depending on experience, but aspirants have to work hard to get established,” she maintained.
Consultant psychologist Dr Rima Mukherjee told PTI that work pressure, ambition and sometimes lack of support could lead to depression for many.
''There are some who are resilient. There are also others who give in to pressure. Many get involved in relationships but find it difficult to hold on to them. Some go against parents to enter the profession. All these factors taken together could leave them depressed,'' she said.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Paulo Dybala gives heartfelt farewell message to Juventus fans | https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/entertainment/2053310-model-found-hanging-in-kolkata-third-incident-in-fortnight-experts-say-rising-suicides-in-showbiz-worrying | 2022-05-27T18:37:51 | en | 0.976513 |
No recovery of drugs or evidence to prove Aryan conspired with others: NCB says in charge sheet
- Country:
- India
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) while giving a clean chit to Aryan Khan, son of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, in the last year's drugs-on-cruise case has said that there was no recovery of drugs from him, nor was there any concrete evidence to prove that he conspired with the other accused.
It has also said that as per actor Ananya Pandey's statement to the agency, the reference to `weed procurement' in the mobile phone chats between the two was only an extended joke.
The NCB on Friday filed a charge-sheet in a Mumbai court against 14 out of 20 persons who were arrested in the case last October following a raid on a cruise ship and alleged seizure of drugs. Six accused, including Aryan Khan, were not named due to lack of evidence, the central agency said.
Analysis of statements of Arbaaz Merchant, a co-accused, showed that Merchant never claimed that the 6 gm charas recovered from his possession was meant for consumption by Aryan, the charge-sheet noted.
Aryan too, in his voluntary statements, never accepted that the recovered charas was meant for him, it added.
'' In fact, Arbaaz in his statement of October 6, 2021, stated that he was warned by Aryan Khan not to carry any narcotic drug on to the cruise,'' the NCB said.
Also, none of the chats recovered from Aryan's mobile phone (which had not been formally seized) connected him to the present case, it said.
''No recovery of drugs from Aryan Khan and non-availability of any concrete evidence which could prove role of Aryan Khan or his conspiracy with Arbaaz A Merchant or any other accused in the instant case beyond reasonable doubt, surfaced up during the investigation carried so far. Hence, no complaint is being filed against him in the instant case,'' the charge-sheet said.
But the charge sheet mentioned that in one of his statements, Aryan accepted that he had consumed marijuana when he was in Los Angeles, United States ''on experimental basis for recreational purpose,'' and also accepted his WhatsApp chats with another accused Aachit for drug procurement.
Aryan stated that they talked about buying ''Dokha'', a word used for weed, it said.
Aryan also admitted to his chat conversation with actor Ananya Pandey regarding weed procurement, the charge-sheet claimed.
But Ananya, in her statement, said the chats related to weed were ''in jest and it was a joke in an attempt to be funny,'' the charge-sheet said.
''She told (the agency) that all the chats held with Aryan were an extension of the same joke as mentioned earlier. Ananya Pandey told that Aryan is lying and she is completely unaware why Aryan said something like this,'' the charge-sheet claimed. Upon search of her house no illicit contraband was found, however, some electronic gadgets were seized, the charge-sheet said.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Maruti Suzuki finalises site for new manufacturing facility in Haryana; to invest Rs 11,000 cr in first phase: Regulatory filing.
Maruti Suzuki finalises site for new manufacturing facility in Haryana; to invest Rs 11,000 cr in first phase
Arms licence applications in Haryana to go online
Maruti Suzuki finalises site for new manufacturing facility in Haryana; to invest Rs 11,000 cr in first phase
3 killed, 2 injured in Haryana's Rewari after two bikes collide | https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/entertainment/2053360-no-recovery-of-drugs-or-evidence-to-prove-aryan-conspired-with-others-ncb-says-in-charge-sheet | 2022-05-27T18:38:01 | en | 0.980411 |
Suhana Khan posts adorable picture with baby brother AbRam on his birthday
Daughter of Shah Rukh and Gauri Khan, Suhana Khan on Friday shared on Instagram an adorable picture with her baby brother AbRam, who turned 9.
- Country:
- India
Daughter of Shah Rukh and Gauri Khan, Suhana Khan on Friday shared on Instagram an adorable picture with her baby brother AbRam, who turned 9. Taking to her Instagram story, the 'Archies' star shared a photograph of AbRam hugging her and captioned the post simply as "Birthday Boy".
In the picture, Suhana and AbRam are seen sporting similar dark-blue outfits. Earlier in the day Gauri Khan treated fans to a video of AbRam on the beach. Meanwhile, Suhana is set to make her Bollywood debut with Netflix's film 'The Archies' directed by Zoya Akhtar. The film is an adaptation of the popular 'Archie' comics.
Archie comics feature teenage characters named Archie Andrews, Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle and Sabrina Spellman, and have seen several adaptations over the years. The Indian adaptation also marks the debut of Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan's grandson Agastya Nanda and the late Sridevi and Boney Kapoor's daughter Khushi Kapoor. It will be out on Netflix. (ANI)
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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SRK's advice to Suhana Khan ahead of 'The Archies' debut: Be kind and giving as an actor
Suhana Khan, Khushi Kapoor and Agastya Nanda to debut with Zoya Akhtar's 'The Archies' | https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/entertainment/2053366-suhana-khan-posts-adorable-picture-with-baby-brother-abram-on-his-birthday | 2022-05-27T18:38:09 | en | 0.926057 |
NHRC takes suo motu cognizance of large number of hospitals, clinics, nursing homes running illegally in Bihar's Munger
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report stating that a large number of hospitals, clinics and nursing homes are running illegally without any registration in the Munger district of Bihar in spite of specific law passed by the State Government in 2013, said a press release.
- Country:
- India
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report stating that a large number of hospitals, clinics and nursing homes are running illegally without any registration in the Munger district of Bihar in spite of specific law passed by the State Government in 2013, said a press release. Reportedly, out of 40 private hospitals running in the district, only four are lawfully registered, added the statement.
The Commission has observed that the contents of the media report, if true, amount to a violation of human rights. Accordingly, it has issued notices to the Chief Secretary, Government of Bihar, Secretary, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Chairman, National Medical Commission, calling for detailed reports on the matter within four weeks including steps taken/proposed to be taken against the illegally running clinical establishments in the region. The Commission has also observed that the Right to Life and Health are basic human rights and such serious violations by the clinical establishments, if true, are a matter of concern.
According to the media report carried on Friday, the information has been reportedly collected by an RTI activist. Reportedly, as per the provisions of the Bihar Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation Act, 2013), the registration of health care facilities is mandatory and the violators have to pay a fine. (ANI)
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) | https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/headlines/2053281-nhrc-takes-suo-motu-cognizance-of-large-number-of-hospitals-clinics-nursing-homes-running-illegally-in-bihars-munger | 2022-05-27T18:38:16 | en | 0.958881 |
Assam Rifles seizes foreign-origin cigarettes worth over Rs 23 crore in Mizoram
Troops of the Assam Rifles seized a huge consignment of foreign-origin cigarettes estimated to be worth over Rs 23 crore in Mizoram's Champhai district on Friday.
- Country:
- India
Troops of the Assam Rifles seized a huge consignment of foreign-origin cigarettes estimated to be worth over Rs 23 crore in Mizoram's Champhai district on Friday. The Serchhip Battalion of 23 Sector Assam Rifles under the aegis of Headquarters Inspector General Assam Rifles (East) recovered foreign-origin cigarettes estimated to be Rs 23,40,00 at Zokhawthar in Mizoram's Champhai district.
According to a press release issued from HQ Inspectorate General Assam Rifles (East), the operation was carried out by a team of eight Assam Rifles who acted on specific information. The Customs Department, Champhai has seized the contraband items for further legal proceedings. The smuggling of foreign-origin cigarettes is a major cause of concern for the state of Mizoram, especially along the India-Myanmar Border. (ANI)
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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- Assam Rifles
- Mizoram
- Champhai
- India | https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/headlines/2053305-assam-rifles-seizes-foreign-origin-cigarettes-worth-over-rs-23-crore-in-mizoram | 2022-05-27T18:38:24 | en | 0.900465 |
UGC cautions students, parents against university providing degree courses in violation of UGC Act, 1956
The University Grants Commission on Friday observed that the All India Institute of Public and Physical Health Sciences (AIIPHS) State Government University is offering various degree courses, which is in gross violation of the UGC Act, 1956.
- Country:
- India
The University Grants Commission on Friday observed that the All India Institute of Public and Physical Health Sciences (AIIPHS) State Government University is offering various degree courses, which is in gross violation of the UGC Act, 1956. "As per section 22(1) of UGC Act, 1956, a degree can be awarded only by a university established or incorporated by or under a Central Act, a Provincial Act or a State Act or an institution deemed to be a university under section 3 of the UGC Act or an institution specially empowered by an Act of Parliament to confer or grant degrees", said Rajnish Jain, Secretary, UGC.
He further said, "It may kindly be noted that above mentioned AIIPHS State Government University isneither recognized by UGC in terms of its establishment under Section 2(f) and Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956, nor it is empowered to award any degree." "Therefore, the general public, students, parents and other stakeholders are cautioned through this public notice not to take admission in the above mentioned self-styled institution," he added. (ANI)
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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- The University Grants Commission
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- UGC Act | https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/headlines/2053315-ugc-cautions-students-parents-against-university-providing-degree-courses-in-violation-of-ugc-act-1956 | 2022-05-27T18:38:32 | en | 0.951265 |
Ex-Uttarakhand Minister kills self after being booked for molesting granddaughter, daughter-in-law booked for abetment to suicide
Former Uttarakhand Minister Rajendra Bahuguna shot himself dead atop a water tank after being accused by his daughter-in-law of molesting his granddaughter.
- Country:
- India
Former Uttarakhand Minister Rajendra Bahuguna shot himself dead atop a water tank days after being accused by his daughter-in-law of molesting his granddaughter. Bhupinder Singh Dhoni, Circle Officer (CO) Haldwani, informed that Bahuguna's daughter-in-law accused him of molesting his granddaughter. He was booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
"Another case was registered against him on the complaint of a neighbour Savita, who accused him of abusing, threatening and attacking her when she was walking with her mother-in-law," Dhoni informed. Before dying of suicide, Bahuguna had called the police, then climbed on a water tank and killed himself using a pistol.
Following the suicide, the police registered a case of abetment to suicide against the daughter-in-law. "A police team rushed to the spot and after a long dialogue, had convinced him to get down. But then he abruptly took the gun and shot himself in the chest. He was then rushed to the hospital. Several attempts to resuscitate him were made," Dhoni added.
When asked about the possible reason for the suicide, the CO said that the reason is not clear yet, "but he was upset over the case and allegations." Bahuguna, a Uttarakhand Roadways employee, was given the status of minister of state in the state's first elected government in 2002. (ANI)
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) | https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/headlines/2053318-ex-uttarakhand-minister-kills-self-after-being-booked-for-molesting-granddaughter-daughter-in-law-booked-for-abetment-to-suicide | 2022-05-27T18:38:41 | en | 0.987202 |
Russia makes Eurobond coupon payments in FX - settlement depository
But analysts were more sceptical about the impact of a potential fallout on the Russian economy in the long term, as Russia's deficit could expand very sharply due to its invasion of Ukraine, said Takahide Kiuchi, an economist at Nomura Research Institute. "The Russian economy cannot stand without financing or money from abroad.
Russia's National Settlement Depository (NSD) on Friday successfully paid coupons in foreign currency on two Eurobonds, an NSD representative told Reuters, a move that could mean Russia may have again averted a default.
Russia is on the cusp of a unique kind of debt crisis which investors say would be a first time a major emerging market economy is pushed into a bond default by geopolitics, rather than empty coffers. The NSD said it paid foreign currency in coupon payouts on Eurobonds maturing in 2026 and 2036 , both of which were due on May 27.
Russia rushed forward two payments on its international debt last Friday in its latest attempt to stave off a default, just days before the U.S. decided not to extend a key waiver allowing transactions on Russian Eurobonds payments in foreign currency. Russia has faced the prospect of sovereign default since Western capitals imposed sweeping sanctions in the wake of its decision to send tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24. The country has been all but cut off from the global financial system and has seen roughly half of its $640 billion reserves abroad frozen.
But Russian officials have said the country had enough money to service its debt and that what other countries might consider a default would be a technical and orchestrated event. Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said this week Russia will keep on paying its state Eurobond obligations in roubles if unable to pay in foreign currency, and will defend its role as a reliable borrower by all possible means.
Siluanov has said there would be no impact on the economy if the United States declares that Russia is in a technical default on its Eurobonds. But analysts were more sceptical about the impact of a potential fallout on the Russian economy in the long term, as Russia's deficit could expand very sharply due to its invasion of Ukraine, said Takahide Kiuchi, an economist at Nomura Research Institute.
"The Russian economy cannot stand without financing or money from abroad. So in this sense, no access to the global market could reduce the potential of growth of the Russian economy in the long term," Kiuchi said.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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- Russia
- Anton Siluanov
- Ukraine
- U.S.
- United States
- Russian
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UNHRC to deepen scrutiny on rights situation in Ukraine 'stemming from Russian aggression' | https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/headlines/2053319-russia-makes-eurobond-coupon-payments-in-fx---settlement-depository | 2022-05-27T18:38:48 | en | 0.957946 |
Telangana government gives Rs 5,000 for honorarium for Imams, Muezzins in the state
The Telangana government pays Rs 5,000 every month as an honorarium for Imams and Muezzins of the state, with this government scheme thousands of Imams and Muezzins are getting benefited.
- Country:
- India
The Telangana government pays Rs 5,000 every month as an honorarium for Imams and Muezzins of the state, with this government scheme thousands of Imams and Muezzins are getting benefited. Through the Telangana Wafk board amount will be distributed to all the mosques in the state.
Talking to ANI, Hafeez Mohd Abdulla, an Imam said," I am Imam in Jaama Masjid, Mohammed lane from the last 8 to 10 years, I thank KCR sir for giving us monthly salaries of Rs 5,000, hope this will continue for a long time." He further added, " I also Thank Owaisi sir and local MLA. What every amount you are giving us it's a unique no government have taken care of us but KCR sir is doing it. I pray to Allah to bless him with good health".
Another imam, Mohd Salauddin Azam said", since last 40 years, he working as a Imam here. I thank KCR sir for giving us Rs 5,000 salary every month we are getting this just because of KCR sir I pray God bless him with Good Health. (ANI)
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) | https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/headlines/2053329-telangana-government-gives-rs-5000-for-honorarium-for-imams-muezzins-in-the-state | 2022-05-27T18:38:56 | en | 0.947461 |
EXCLUSIVE-India seen facing wider coal shortages, worsening power outage risks
The grim forecast shows the extent of the fuel shortage in India, at a time when annual power demand is seen growing at the fastest rate in at least 38 years and global coal prices are trading at near-record levels due to a supply crunch resulting from the Russia-Ukraine crisis. India has stepped up pressure on utilities to increase imports in recent days, warning of cuts to supply of domestically mined coal if power plants do not build up coal inventories through imports.
India is expected to face a wider coal shortage during the quarter ending September over expectations of higher power demand, an internal power ministry presentation seen by Reuters showed, worsening risks of widespread power outages.
The energy-hungry nation expects local coal supply to fall 42.5 million tonnes short of demand in the September quarter, 15% higher than previously projected, due to higher growth in power demand and lower output from some mines. The grim forecast shows the extent of the fuel shortage in India, at a time when annual power demand is seen growing at the fastest rate in at least 38 years and global coal prices are trading at near-record levels due to a supply crunch resulting from the Russia-Ukraine crisis.
India has stepped up pressure on utilities to increase imports in recent days, warning of cuts to supply of domestically mined coal if power plants do not build up coal inventories through imports. However, one of the slides in the presentation showed that most states had yet to award contracts to import coal and that Indian utilities would run out of coal by July if no coal was imported.
Only one state had awarded a contract to import coal as of end-April, a power ministry import status report reviewed by Reuters showed. India expects domestic coal supply of 154.7 million tonnes, 42.5 million tonnes short of the projected requirement of 197.3 million tonnes in the September quarter, the presentation showed. It previously expected a shortage of 37 million tonnes.
The presentation was made on Friday in a virtual meeting in which the federal coal and power ministers were present, with top energy officials from the federal government and the states in attendance, according to two government officials familiar with the matter. The federal coal and power ministries did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment. Details on the presentation have not been previously reported.
Coal inventories at power plants have declined by about 13% since April, which translates to eight days of coal requirement, the lowest level at this time of the year in at least nine years. The higher coal demand could also stifle efforts to build power plant inventories. India now expects the demand for coal from utilities to be 784.6 million tonnes for the year ending March 2023, the presentation showed, 3.3% higher than projected earlier.
The projected annual coal shortage is now 49.3 million tonnes, nearly three times the 17.7 million tonnes projected earlier, the presentation showed. India reconciled its coal demand projections after higher-than-expected power demand growth in April, when electricity use hit a record high due to soaring temperatures.
Many states on Friday called for the federal government-run Coal India to import coal in bulk and distribute it among the states, the officials said. States cited high global prices and supply challenges to seek aggregated imports, the officials said, adding that the coal minister had told states the demand would be considered.
Higher imports could put further pressure on state-government-owned power distribution companies, which are already saddled with debt and owe billions of dollars to generators as they have historically absorbed higher input costs to keep tariffs steady. Coal India did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment. The world's largest miner has not imported coal in the recent years.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Russia in spotlight over Ukraine atrocities as Human Rights Council meets | https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/headlines/2053335-exclusive-india-seen-facing-wider-coal-shortages-worsening-power-outage-risks | 2022-05-27T18:39:04 | en | 0.953742 |
India-Bangladesh Mitali Express to boost trans-national railway connectivity
In a major boost to transnational railway connectivity between India and Bangladesh, from West Bengal's New Jalpaiguri to Dhaka cantonment in Bangladesh, the Mitali Express--the third India-Bangladesh passenger train service, is scheduled to start services from June 1.
- Country:
- India
In a major boost to transnational railway connectivity between India and Bangladesh, from West Bengal's New Jalpaiguri to Dhaka cantonment in Bangladesh, the Mitali Express--the third India-Bangladesh passenger train service, is scheduled to start services from June 1. The new train service will be flagged off virtually by the Railway Ministers of India and Bangladesh from Rail Bhawan in New Delhi on June 1. Sabyasachi De, the Chief Public Relations Officer of Northeast Frontier Railway said that the Mitali Express will run two days a week on Sunday and Wednesday. "During the regular service of the train, departure from New Jalpaiguri will be at 11:45 hours (IST). The train will arrive at Haldibari (India) at 12.55 hours (IST) and depart from Haldibari at 13.05 hours (IST). The train will arrive at Chilahati (Bangladesh) at 13.55 hours (BST) and depart from Chilahati at 14.25 hours (BST) to reach Dhaka Cantonment at 22:30 hours (BST)," De said.
The CPRO also informed that the train will not have any commercial stoppages. The new Jalpaiguri - Dhaka Cantonment leg of this train will consist of four First Class AC (Seating only), four AC Chair cars and two luggage-cum-generator vans.
"During its return journey, Dhaka Cantonment - New Jalpaiguri Mitali Express will also run two days a week- on Monday and Thursday; leaving Dhaka Cantonment at 21:50 hours (BST). The train will arrive at Chilahati (Bangladesh) at 05.45 hours (BST) and depart from Chilahati at 06.15 hours (BST). The train will arrive at Haldibari (India) at 06.00 hours (IST) and depart from Haldibari at 06.05 hours (IST) to reach New Jalpaiguri at 07:15 hours (IST). This leg of the journey will consist of four First Class AC (Sleeper), four AC Chair cars and two luggage-cum-generator vans," De said. He further said that the tickets for this train are available at the overseas Passenger Reservation System counters at New Jalpaiguri Station and Kolkata Railway Station. "The new train services will improve the bilateral trade relation and socio-economic activities of India and Bangladesh. The services will further make travel easier for the passengers and will greatly benefit the tourism sector of North Bengal area along with other tourism hotspots across India," De said. (ANI)
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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ED raids 10 places in West Bengal against Bangladesh nationals for possessing fake Indian identity cards | https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/headlines/2053348-india-bangladesh-mitali-express-to-boost-trans-national-railway-connectivity | 2022-05-27T18:39:12 | en | 0.931585 |
BJP's Nupur Sharma gets rape, death threats following 'fact checkers' tweet
Bharatiya Janata Party national spokesperson Nupur Sharma on Friday alleged that she has been receiving death and rape threats on social media after a "so-called fact-checker" circulated a heavily edited video from one of her recent debate on a TV channel on the Gyanvapi mosque case.
- Country:
- India
Bharatiya Janata Party national spokesperson Nupur Sharma on Friday alleged that she has been receiving death and rape threats on social media after a "so-called fact-checker" circulated a heavily edited video from one of her recent debate on a TV channel on the Gyanvapi mosque case. "There is a so-called fact-checker who has started to vitiate the atmosphere by putting out a heavily edited and selected video from one of my debates last night. Ever since I've been receiving death and rape threats, including beheading threats against me and family members," Nupur Sharma told ANI on Friday.
Sharma alleged that an Alt News proprietor posted an edited video to encourage trolls against her and said that he should be held "responsible" if any harm befalls her family. "I've tagged the Police Commissioner and Delhi Police. I suspect there'll be harm done to me and my immediate family members. In case there's any harm done to me or my family members Mohammed Zubair, who I think is a proprietor of Alt News, is completely responsible," she stated.
"If I was wrong, then the fact-checkers should rectify the facts, rather than sending death threats to me. Please come forward and correct the facts. It's not right, it's completely illegal. He (Zubair) is not a fact-checker, he is a fake-spreader," she added. Further, Sharma said that she is collating all the threats against her and will file a complaint in the matter.
The BJP spokesperson took to Twitter to tag Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana to bring his attention to threatening messages she has received. She further urged Delhi Police to take serious cognizance of the matter and provide security to her family. "I'm being bombarded with rape, death and beheading threats against my sister, mother, father & myself. I've communicated same to @DelhiPolice . If anything untoward happens to me or any of my family members..." the BJP leader said in a tweet
"@CPDelhi please note wholly & solely @zoo_bear is responsible instead of 'fact-checking' peddled a fake narrative to vitiate the atmosphere, cause communal disharmony and cause communal and targeted hatred against me and my family," she said in a subsequent tweet. Delhi Police in its reply said that the matter has been forwarded to officials concerned. "The matter has been forwarded to the concerned officials for necessary action. You will be contacted shortly," Delhi Police tweeted. (ANI)
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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- Bharatiya Janata Party
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Maha: NCP minister seeks action against Twitter user over 'Godse for Gandhi of Baramati' tweet
I urge Home Minister Amit Shah to stop BJP’s demolition drive in Delhi which is being conducted to extort money from people: Dy CM Sisodia. | https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/headlines/2053357-bjps-nupur-sharma-gets-rape-death-threats-following-fact-checkers-tweet | 2022-05-27T18:39:20 | en | 0.966173 |
Argentina reports case of monkeypox; man travelled from Spain
All of his close contacts are being monitored and none have presented any symptoms to date, the Health Ministry said.Health authorities in Argentina also reported an additional suspected case of the virus in a resident of Spain who is currently visiting the province of Buenos Aires and has no ties to the first case.The man presented lesions compatible with monkeypox on Thursday, a day after arriving in the country.The patient is in good general health, isolated and receiving symptomatic treatment, the Health Ministry added.
Argentina reported a case of the monkeypox virus on Friday in a man who recently travelled to Spain. It also reported a suspected case of the rare virus in another person.
A man from the province of Buenos Aires has monkeypox, Argentina's health ministry said in a statement.
An official in the ministry earlier confirmed the positive case but said health authorities were waiting to finish sequencing the virus before making the official announcement.
It is the first time the presence of the virus has been confirmed in Latin America during this latest outbreak in countries around the world that are not usually known to have outbreaks.
The sequencing of the virus revealed a high degree of similarity with monkeypox from western Africa, as has been the case with the new infections around the world, Argentina's Health Ministry said.
Authorities have revealed little about the patient beyond saying he travelled to Spain from April 28 through May 16 and had symptoms compatible with monkeypox, including lesions and a fever, on Sunday.
The man is being treated for his symptoms. All of his close contacts are being monitored and none have presented any symptoms to date, the Health Ministry said.
Health authorities in Argentina also reported an additional suspected case of the virus in a resident of Spain who is currently visiting the province of Buenos Aires and has no ties to the first case.
The man presented lesions compatible with monkeypox on Thursday, a day after arriving in the country.
“The patient is in good general health, isolated and receiving symptomatic treatment,” the Health Ministry added. None of his close contacts have yet to present any symptoms.
Nearly 200 cases of monkeypox have recently been reported in more than 20 countries not usually known to have outbreaks of the disease, the World Health Organization said on Friday. But that looked to be an undercount.
Spain has emerged as an epicentre of this recent outbreak and health authorities confirmed on Friday there were 98 confirmed cases in the country. The United Kingdom has reported 106 confirmed cases while Portugal said Friday the number of people with monkeypox had increased to 74.
Cases have also been reported in the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany, France and Italy, among others.
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5 dead after Pennsylvania house explosion; 2 injured
- Country:
- United States
A house exploded northwest of Philadelphia, killing five people and leaving two others injured, authorities said Friday.
Officials had earlier said four people died and others might be missing in Thursday evening's explosion in Pottstown but confirmed the fifth fatality as they combed through debris, Borough Manager Justin Keller said at a news conference Friday, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Two people were hospitalised, Keller said, with one in critical condition and another undergoing surgery. Everyone previously missing had been accounted for Friday.
The cause of the blast is still being investigated, Keller said.
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Nanoparticle triggers the immune system, outsmarting brain cancer: Research
According to the scientists at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center, a small molecule has been identified that blocks a key pathway in brain tumours. But there was a problem
- Country:
- United States
According to the scientists at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center, a small molecule has been identified that blocks a key pathway in brain tumours. But there was a problem: How to get the inhibitor through the bloodstream and into the brain to reach the tumour. In collaboration with multiple labs, the teams fabricated a nanoparticle to contain the inhibitor, and the results were even better than expected.
Not only did the nanoparticles deliver the inhibitor to the tumour in mouse models, where the drug successfully turned on the immune system to eliminate cancer, but the process triggered immune memory so that a reintroduced tumour was also eliminated--a sign that this potential new approach could not only treat brain tumours but prevent or delay recurrences. "No one could get this molecule into the brain. It's really a huge milestone. Outcomes for patients with glioma have not improved for the last 30 years," said Maria G. Castro, Ph.D., R.C. Schneider Collegiate Professor of Neurosurgery at Michigan Medicine. Castro is the senior author of the study, published in ACS Nano.
"Despite survival gains in many cancer types, glioma remains stubbornly challenging, with only 5% of patients living five years after their diagnosis," said study author Pedro R. Lowenstein, M.D., Ph.D., Richard C. Schneider Collegiate Professor of Neurosurgery at Michigan Medicine. Gliomas are often resistant to traditional therapies, and the environment inside the tumour suppresses the immune system, rendering new immune-based therapies ineffective. Add to that the challenge of passing the blood brain barrier, and it becomes even more difficult to deliver effective treatments to these tumours.
The Castro-Lowenstein lab saw an opportunity. The small-molecule inhibitor AMD3100 was developed to block the action of CXCR12, a cytokine released by the glioma cells that build up a shield around the immune system, preventing it from firing up against the invading tumour. Researchers showed in mouse models of glioma that AMD3100 prevented CXCR12 from binding with immune-suppressive myeloid cells. By disarming these cells, the immune system remains intact and can attack the tumour cells. But AMD3100 was having trouble getting to the tumour. The drug did not travel well through the bloodstream, and it did not pass the blood brain barrier, a key issue with getting drugs into the brain.
The Castro-Lowenstein lab collaborated with Joerg Lahann, Ph.D., Wolfgang Pauli Collegiate Professor of Chemical Engineering at the U-M College of Engineering, to create protein-based nanoparticles to encapsulate the inhibitor, in the hopes of helping it pass through the bloodstream. Castro also connected with Anuska V. Andjelkovic, M.D., Ph.D., professor of pathology and research professor of neurosurgery at Michigan Medicine, whose research focuses on the blood-brain barrier. They noted that glioma tumours create abnormal blood vessels, interfering with normal blood flow.
The researchers injected AMD3100-loaded nanoparticles into mice with gliomas. The nanoparticles contained a peptide on the surface that binds to a protein found mostly on the brain tumour cells. As the nanoparticles travelled through the bloodstream toward the tumour, they released AMD3100, which restored the integrity of the blood vessels. The nanoparticles could then reach their target, where they released the drug, thus blocking the entry of the immune-suppressive myeloid cells into the tumour mass. This allowed the immune cells to kill the tumour and delay its progression. "If you don't have blood flow, nothing will get to your target. That's why tumours are so smart. But AMD3100 restores the conduits, which is what allows the nanoparticles to reach the tumour," Castro said.
Further studies in mice and patient cell lines demonstrated that coupling the AMD3100 nanoparticle with radiation therapy enhanced the effect beyond either the nanoparticle or radiation alone. Among the mice whose tumours were eliminated, the researchers then reintroduced the tumour, simulating a recurrence. Without any additional therapy, 60% of mice remained cancer-free. This suggests that, like a vaccine, AMD3100 created immune memory, enabling the immune system to recognize and destroy the reintroduced cells. While it prevented a recurrence in mice, Castro said it bodes well for at least delaying recurrence in people.
"Every glioma recurs. It's very important for glioma therapy to have this immunological memory," Castro said. Initial tests showed little to no impact on liver, kidney or heart function and normal blood counts in the mice after treatment. The nanoparticle has a similar base as ones that have been previously tested in humans and shown to be safe. Additional safety testing is necessary before moving to a clinical trial. (ANI)
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India's cumulative COVID vaccination coverage exceeds 193.11 cr
India's COVID vaccination coverage exceeded 193.11 (1,93,11,63,686) crore on Friday as per provisional reports by 7 pm, informed the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
- Country:
- India
India's COVID vaccination coverage exceeded 193.11 (1,93,11,63,686) crore on Friday as per provisional reports by 7 pm, informed the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. More than 12 lakh (12,64,122) Vaccine Doses have been administered till 7 pm today.
COVID vaccination for the age group 12-14 years was started on March 16, 2022. So far as many as than 3,36,21,307 adolescents have been administered with the first dose and 1,57,16,052 with the second dose of COVID vaccine. According to the Ministry, of the total doses administered so far to the health care workers (HLW's), 1,04,06,829 have received the first dose, 1,00,38,470 have received the second vaccine dose and 51,89,959 have been administered the precaution dose.
Also, 1,84,18,823 frontline workers were administered the first dose, 1,75,81,408 with the second dose and 86,11,162 with the precaution doses. In the age group 15-18 years, 5,93,86,364 doses have been administered as the first dose and 4,54,58,676 doses as the second dose.
Similarly, for the age group of 45-59 years, 20,32,33,160 have received the first dose, 19,06,79,741 have received the second dose and 13,23,491 have been administered the precaution doses. (ANI)
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Private company announces development of RT-PCR based kit for Monkeypox Virus
A medical devices company on Friday announced to have developed a real-time RT-PCR-based kit for the detection of Monkeypox (Orthopoxvirus) virus.
- Country:
- India
A medical devices company on Friday announced to have developed a real-time RT-PCR-based kit for the detection of Monkeypox (Orthopoxvirus) virus. "The Research and Development team of Trivitron Healthcare has developed an RT-PCR based kit for the detection of Monkeypox virus. Trivitron's Monkeypox Real-Time PCR Kit is four colour fluorescence based kit, which can differentiate between Smallpox and Monkeypox in a one-tube single reaction format, with a total turnaround time of 1 hour," said a statement by the company.
"The WHO recommended specimen type for laboratory confirmation of Monkeypox is skin lesion material, including swabs of lesion surface and/or exudate, roofs from more than one lesion, or lesion crusts. Hence, both dry swabs and swabs placed in VTM can be used," added the statement. Meanwhile, with monkeypox cases being identified across the world, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) official on Friday said that India is prepared in view of increasing infections in the non-endemic countries, however, no cases have been reported in the country so far. (ANI)
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Pakistan Finance minister defends sudden price hike in petroleum products
Pakistan's finance minister has said the recent decision to hike prices of all petroleum products in the country was done as the government had no other option left to prevent the country from drifting towards a bad situation.
- Country:
- Pakistan
Pakistan's finance minister has said the recent decision to hike prices of all petroleum products in the country was done as the government had no other option left to prevent the country from drifting towards a bad situation. In a bid to placate the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for an economic bailout, the Shehbaz Sharif government on Thursday increased the petrol and diesel prices by PKR 30 per litre causing a surge in the cost of production in the country.
This is the highest-ever increase in the prices of all petroleum products in one go, according to the Dawn newspaper. Addressing a press conference Finance Minister Miftah Ismail said that this was the first step toward convincing the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to release the next tranche at the earliest.
This price hike came after talks between the Pakistan government and IMF in Doha. These discussions were aimed at reaching an agreement on policies at the conclusion of the IMF's seventh review of its USD 6 billion programmes for Pakistan, which has been stalled since early April. The IMF had refused to revive the USD 6 billion programme if Pakistan fails to remove the fiscally unsustainable fuel and electricity subsidies. It had given Islamabad two days to lift the cap for the continuation of talks
Although the increase in fuel prices would cause a surge in inflation, it will pave the way for Pakistan to achieve an IMF loan tranche of about USD 1 billion. It would further unblock assistance from other multilateral and bilateral lenders, shore up foreign exchange reserves, improve the exchange rate and energise the stock market, reported Dawn newspaper. Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Imran Khan has also slammed Shehbaz Sharif for his decision to raise the prices of petroleum products (ANI)
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Imran Khan dismisses report of 'deal' behind abrupt end of 'Azadi March'
Former Pakistan Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Friday dispelled the reports that he had made a deal in exchange for ending his 'Azadi March'.
- Country:
- Pakistan
Former Pakistan Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Friday dispelled the reports that he had made a deal in exchange for ending his 'Azadi March'. Addressing a press conference in Peshawar, Imran Khan said, "Do not think it was our weakness and don't think that a deal was made. I am hearing strange things that a deal was made with the establishment. I did not make a deal with anyone," he said, adding that the only motive behind his actions was a concern for the country, Dawn reported.
PTI Chairman said that he would take the street again if an early election would not be announced. He regretted how police officials attacked the participants of the march, blaming the government for hand-picking officers to target the PTI. "Our workers asked why we did not stage a sit-in. I am the man who staged a sit-in for 126 days. It was not difficult for me, but by the time I reached I became aware of the extent of the situation [...] I knew that day that there would be bloodshed," Khan said.
Khan added that people were ready to fight after seeing the 'terrorism' carried out by the police. He also said that the officials were instructed to brutalise protesters. "The anger at the time, if I had staged a sit-in that day I can guarantee that there would have been bloodshed," he said, adding that there was a prevailing sense of hatred against police officials.
"But the police are also ours, it is not their fault," the PTI chairman said, blaming the government for issuing the directives. If there was violence then it would only have caused chaos in the country, he said. He also made it clear that the PTI would not negotiate with or accept the "imported government".
"I think of this as a jihad. I will stand up against this as long as I am alive," he said, reiterating that he only cared about the future of the country, according to Dawn. Imran Khan again stressed his six-day ultimatum to the government for the announcement of early elections.
He claimed that the government was "afraid", pointing out how they pressurised media channels and slowed down internet services. "No one knew what was going on. There was confusion." He also termed his party workers "heroes" for taking to the streets in the national interest. "You came out for the country's haqeeqi azadi (true freedom)," Imran Khan said as quoted by Dawn.
The city turned into a battleground on Wednesday as multiple scuffles took place between the police and PTI marchers after Imran Khan and his convoy entered the city and started marching towards the D-Chowk despite the Supreme Court's order to hold a rally at a ground between H9 and G9 areas of Islamabad. To control the law and order situation in the federal capital, the Pakistan government deployed troops of the Pakistan army in the Red Zone to protect important government buildings including the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Parliament House, Presidency, Prime Minister's Office and others. The decision was taken under Article 245 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, reported the Geo TV. (ANI)
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NATO Defense Ministers to meet on June 15-16 in Brussels
The NATO Defense Ministers will meet on June 15-16 in Brussels, the alliance said on Friday, adding that the EU, Georgia, Finland, Sweden and Ukraine are invited to attend the event.
- Country:
- Brussels
Belgium [Brussels], May 27 (ANI/Sputnik): The NATO Defense Ministers will meet on June 15-16 in Brussels, the alliance said on Friday, adding that the EU, Georgia, Finland, Sweden and Ukraine are invited to attend the event.
"A meeting of the North Atlantic Council (NAC) at the level of Defence Ministers will take place on Wednesday 15 June and Thursday 16 June at the NATO Headquarters in Brussels. The meeting will be chaired by the NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg," NATO said in a statement.
NATO added that the meeting will start with a working dinner where "Finland, Georgia, Sweden, Ukraine and the European Union are invited". (ANI/Sputnik)
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G7 countries agree to decarbonize energy sector by 2035: German Economy Minister
The G7 countries have agreed to decarbonize their energy sector by 2035, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said on Friday.
- Country:
- Germany
Berlin [Germany], May 27 (ANI/Sputnik): The G7 countries have agreed to decarbonize their energy sector by 2035, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said on Friday.
"A significant step has been taken in the decarbonization of the energy sector, the commitment now made says that the energy sector in 2035 in all G7 states ... should be basically decarbonized and that moving away from coal is a common goal of the G7," Habeck told reporters following a G7 ministerial meeting in Berlin.
The G7 has also agreed to stop financing fossil fuel projects by 2025, the minister said, calling the decision "extremely important." (ANI/Sputnik)
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Assam CM meets Bangladeshi delegation led Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday met with the Bangladeshi delegation led by the neighbouring country's Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen.
- Country:
- India
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday met with the Bangladeshi delegation led by the neighbouring country's Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen.
Taking to Twitter today, Assam Chief Minister said that all the leaders were agreed to further strengthen economic and social ties between Assam and Bangladesh for mutual benefit.
"Had a fruitful discussion with a Bangladeshi delegation led by the neighbouring country's Foreign Minister Dr @AKAbdulMomen. We agreed to further strengthen economic & social ties between Assam and Bangladesh for mutual benefit," Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted. (ANI)
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PTI's 'Haqiqi Azadi March' cost government Rs 149 million
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI)'s 'Haqiqi Azadi March' cost the Shehbaz sharif-led government Rs 149 million to maintain the law and order in the capital.
- Country:
- Pakistan
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI)'s 'Haqiqi Azadi March' cost the Shehbaz sharif-led government Rs 149 million to maintain the law and order in the capital. This amount was released to police after the police officials sent a letter to the government, asking for the amount, Dawn reported citing officers.
Police were not able to stop the participants of the march from reaching the Red Zone, the participants removed blockades, confronted the security personnel and even set some trees on fire. The police officers said that the request for the supplementary grant was made to the chief commissioner's office, it then reached the interior ministry and then was forwarded to the finance ministry for release of funds. Funds were released on request of police for a supplementary grant, officers said.
Besides this, other necessary items would be arranged, it stated, adding that a huge amount was already spent on the maintenance of law and order in the capital during the 48th session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers held in March 2022, vote of no-confidence against the ousted prime minister and the subsequent election of the incumbent prime minister, according to Dawn. For these events, Rs 150 million were demanded, however, no funds had been approved for the police so far. At present, no funds are available with the police to cater to requirements and besides this, vendors were reluctant to provide services due to their pending liabilities.
"In view of the above, additional funds are required on an urgent basis to ensure effective security measures during the law and order situation due to the PTI's protest and sit-in," the request said. The officers further stated that during the current financial year, the capital police had been allocated very limited funds which have already been consumed.
Meanwhile, PTI has decided to resume contact with the federation after Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif invited the former ruling party for talks, reported The Express Tribune. After former prime minister Imran Khan's formal approval, the PTI will hold talks with the coalition government. The talks will focus on electoral reforms and other issues. In this regard, PTI may soon form a negotiating committee. (ANI)
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Nigeria issues measures to prevent possible spread of monkeypox
The Nigerian government on Friday set up an inter-ministerial committee to prevent the possible spread of the monkeypox disease in the country.
- Country:
- Nigeria
Lagos [Nigeria], May 27 (ANI/Xinhua): The Nigerian government on Friday set up an inter-ministerial committee to prevent the possible spread of the monkeypox disease in the country. There was no recorded case of monkeypox in Nigeria yet, said Mohammad Abubakar, minister of agriculture and rural development, at a news conference in Abuja, the nation's capital, on Friday.
Abubakar said his ministry, through the department of veterinary and pest control services, is working assiduously in collaboration with relevant stakeholders and agencies to sensitize the public on the monkeypox virus for early containment. The ministry is also creating awareness among hunting communities and the public, he said.
"In view of the current outbreaks in Europe and the Americas, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development works assiduously in collaboration with relevant sectors and stakeholders to intensify surveillance in the animal population and at the point of entry for wildlife," Abubakar said. He advised the public to avoid contact with animals that could harbour the virus, including animals that are sick or found dead where monkeypox occurs; and avoid contact with any material such as bedding that has been in contact with a sick animal.
The minister urged the public to practice good hand hygiene, such as the washing of hands and the use of alcohol-based sanitisers, after contact with infected animals or humans. Abubakar said the country's quarantine services and other related agencies are stationed at every entry point of ports and borders to detect, inspect and quarantine anyone with symptoms of the disease. (ANI/Xinhua)
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8 killed in east China landslides
Eight people were killed after two buildings collapsed due to landslides triggered by downpours on Friday in Wuping County, east China's Fujian Province, local authorities said Saturday.
- Country:
- China
Fuzhou [China], May 27 (ANI/Xinhua): Eight people were killed after two buildings collapsed due to landslides triggered by downpours on Friday in Wuping County, east China's Fujian Province, local authorities said Saturday. Starting from Thursday evening, heavy rainfall has been lashing the county, with the highest precipitation exceeding 220 millimetres within 24 hours.
Five people were found dead in a collapsed factory building while three others died after a residential building collapsed, said the county's information office. The downpours also damaged crop fields, cut off roads, disrupted electricity, and affected the life of 9,700 residents, including some 1,600 people who were relocated to safety, the office said, adding that the disaster relief work is underway. (ANI/Xinhua)
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Navneet Rana's harassment complaint: Privilege Committee summons Maharashtra Chief Secretary, DGP
Acting on the complaint of illegal arrest and harassment by Amravati MP Navneet Rana, the Privileges and Ethics Committee of the Lok Sabha Secretariat on Friday summoned Maharashtra Chief Secretary Manu Kumar Srivastava to appear before them on June 15 for oral evidence.
- Country:
- India
Acting on the complaint of illegal arrest and harassment by Amravati MP Navneet Rana, the Privileges and Ethics Committee of the Lok Sabha Secretariat on Friday summoned Maharashtra Chief Secretary Manu Kumar Srivastava to appear before them on June 15 for oral evidence. The Committee has also summoned the Director-General of Police (DGP) of Maharashtra Rajnish Seth, Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjay Pandey and Superintendent of Women District Prison, Byculla (Mumbai) Yashwant Bhanudas to appear before them on June 15.
The Amravati MP had written to the Parliament's Privileges and Ethics Committee on charges of breach of privilege and had alleged illegal arrest and inhuman treatment faced by her at Khar police station. On May 23, Navneet appeared before the Parliamentary Privilege Committee over her allegation of "patently illegal arrest and the consequent inhuman treatment meted out to her at Khar Police Station, Mumbai"
The Rana couple was arrested on April 23 from their Mumbai residence after declaring that they would recite the Hanuman Chalisa outside Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's home in Bandra. They were booked in two FIRs lodged on charges of sedition, promoting enmity, and assaulting a public servant to prevent discharge of duty. (ANI)
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Case registered against lawyer for making “abusive and derogatory remarks” against Pak Army chief
- Country:
- Pakistan
Pakistan police on Friday registered a case against lawyer Imaan Haazir-Mazari and the daughter of former human rights minister Shireen Mazari for making “abusive and derogatory remarks” against the Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa. A First Information Report (FIR) was registered against her at Islamabad’s Ramna police station under Section 505 (hate speech) and Section 138 of the Pakistan Penal Code on the application of Syed Humayun Iftikhar, Lt Colonel for Judge Advocate General, GHQ.
According to the application seeking the registration of the FIR, Mazari made a “derogatory and hatred [sic] statement on May 21” against Pakistan Army and its chief Gen. Bajwa.
“Her derogatory statements are highly disparaging aimed to cause and incite mutiny/intimidation amongst ranks and file of [the] Pakistan Army,” it stated, adding, “It also leads to ridicule and create hatred within the Pakistan Army which made out [sic] a serious offence,” the application said. It alleged that Mazari also defamed the senior military leadership as these “statements, made with the intent to cause and create unrest and chaos in the Pakistan Army” which is a “punishable offence”. Imaan made these remarks on May 21 after her mother was arrested by officials of the anti-corruption department of the Punjab province, but was released on the same day after the Islamabad High Court’s intervention.
Meanwhile, a Pakistani high court on Friday granted pre-arrest bail to Mazari hours after a case was registered against her for abusive comments against the army chief Shireen, 59, a former cabinet colleague of Imran Khan, has been critical of the Army after the former premier was removed from office through a no-confidence motion last month.
When asked about the arrest by the media, her daughter accused Gen. Bajwa and the army of being instrumental in her mother’s detention.
The former minister had claimed earlier this week that she was asked to visit the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) headquarters after her ministry of human rights pursued a bill about enforced disappearances in the country.
Narrating the incident, she said that the day the human rights ministry was planning to table a bill about enforced disappearances in the National Assembly; she had to go to the ISI main office in the capital.
“That evening I got a phone call asking me to appear at the ISI headquarters. I went and I said that we had signed international conventions,” she said, without giving more details about the visit.
She said that after the bill was tabled in the National Assembly, it was referred to the interior committee where ''invisible shadows'' tried to change some of the clauses.
“The bill was passed with the amendments but then it ‘disappeared’ on the way after it was sent to the Senate - the upper house,” she claimed.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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'Relentless': Russia squeezes Ukrainian strongholds in east
Russia-backed separatists claimed they captured a railway hub city in eastern Ukraine as Moscows forces pushed to gain more ground Friday by pounding another Ukrainian-held area where authorities say 1,500 people have died since the wars start.With Russias offensive in Ukraines industrial Donbas region showing incremental progress, Ukrainian officials characterized the battle as grave and renewed their appeals for more sophisticated Western-supplied weaponry.
Russia-backed separatists claimed they captured a railway hub city in eastern Ukraine as Moscow's forces pushed to gain more ground Friday by pounding another Ukrainian-held area where authorities say 1,500 people have died since the war's start.
With Russia's offensive in Ukraine's industrial Donbas region showing incremental progress, Ukrainian officials characterized the battle as grave and renewed their appeals for more sophisticated Western-supplied weaponry. Without that, the foreign minister warned, Ukrainian forces won't be able to stop Russia's advance on the east.
Some European leaders sought dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin toward ending a war — now in its 93rd day — with global economic repercussions, while Britain's foreign minister worked to rally the West's continued support for Ukraine.
“There should be no talk of ceasefires, or appeasing Putin. We need to make sure that Ukraine wins. And that Russia withdraws and that we never see this type of Russian aggression again,” UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said.
But in Ukraine's east, Russia does have the upper hand. The fighting Friday focused on two key cities: Sievierodonetsk and nearby Lysychansk. They are the last areas under Ukrainian control in Luhansk, one of two provinces that make up the Donbas and where Moscow-backed separatists have controlled some territory for eight years.
“There are battles on the outskirts of the city. Massive artillery shelling does not stop, day and night,'' Sievierodonetsk Mayor Oleksandr Striuk told The Associated Press. “The city is being systematically destroyed — 90% of the buildings in the city are damaged.'' An assault was underway in the city's northeastern quarter, where Russian reconnaissance and sabotage groups tried to capture the Mir Hotel and the area around it Friday, Striuk said.
At least 1,500 people have died in Sievierodonetsk because of the war since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb 24, he said.
The figure includes people killed by shelling or in fires caused by Russian missile strikes, as well as those who died from shrapnel wounds, untreated diseases, a lack of medicine or while trapped under rubble, according to the mayor.
About 12,000 to 13,000 people remain in the city — down from a pre-war population of about 100,000, he said. Those remaining are huddled in shelters, largely cut off from the rest of Ukraine.
Volunteers hoped to evacuate about 100 people Friday from a smaller city just to Sievierodonetsk's south. It was a painstaking process: Many of the evacuees from Bakhmut were elderly or infirm and needed to be carried out of apartment buildings in soft stretchers and wheelchairs.
Minibuses and vans zipped through the city, picking up dozens for the first leg of a long journey west by car or train.
“Bakhmut is a high-risk area right now,” Mark Poppert, an American volunteer working with British charity RefugEase, said. “We're trying to get as many people out as we can.” In Donetsk, the other Donbas province, the Russia-backed rebels said Friday they took over Lyman, a large railway hub north of two more key cities still under Ukrainian control.
“We lost Lyman,” Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovich acknowledged Thursday night. However, a Ukrainian Defence Ministry spokesperson reported Friday that its soldiers countered Russian attempts to push them completely out of the city.
Ukrainian analysts said Russian forces have taken advantage of delays in Western arms shipments to step up their offensive in the east and secure territory before Ukraine's fighters could repel them.
Russia brought in an additional 10-12 battalion tactical groups to the zone, military analyst Oleh Zhdanov said.
Throwing so much muscle at the offensive, though, could backfire by seriously depleting Russia's arsenal. Echoing an assessment from the British Defence Ministry, Zhdanov said Russia was deploying 50-year-old T-62 tanks, “which means that the second army of the world has run out of modernized equipment”.
Mykola Sunhurovskyi, an analyst at Kyiv's Razumkov Centre, said that going forward, “It is in Putin's interests to solidify the situation that has developed today at the front, biting off from Ukraine what there is still strength for, and secure this line of contact as a position in (eventual) negotiations''.
As Ukraine's hopes of stopping the Russian advance faded, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba pleaded with Western nations: “We need heavy weapons. The only position where Russia is better than us, it's the amount of heavy weapons they have. Without artillery, without multiple launch rocket systems we won't be able to push them back.'' In his nightly address to the nation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had some harsh words for the European Union, which has not agreed on a sixth round of sanctions that includes an embargo on Russian oil. Hungary, one of Moscow's closest allies in the EU, is obstructing the deal.
“Pressure on Russia is literally a matter of saving lives,” Zelenskyy said. “And every day of delay, weakness, various disputes or proposals to appease' the aggressor at the expense of the victim is new killed Ukrainians. And new threats to everyone on our continent.” Zelenskyy said Russia's offensive in the Donbas could leave its communities in ashes and uninhabitable. He accused Moscow of pursuing “an obvious policy of genocide” through mass deportations and killings of civilians.
On Thursday, Russian shelling of Kharkiv, a northeastern city that has been under assault while Ukrainian forces keep the invading troops out, killed nine people, including a father and his 5-month-old baby, the president said.
AP reporters saw the bodies of at least two dead men and four wounded at a central subway station, where the victims were taken as shelling continued outside.
To the north, neighbouring Belarus announced Friday that it was sending troops toward the Ukrainian border, raising concerns in Ukraine's military command. Russia used Belarus as a staging ground before it invaded Ukraine.
Germany's development minister travelled to Ukraine on Friday to pledge further civilian support and discuss the country's rebuilding.
Meanwhile, European leaders have been speaking with Putin about easing the growing global food crisis exacerbated by Kyiv's inability to ship millions of tons of grain and other agricultural products while under attack.
Italian Premier Mario Draghi said there were no breakthroughs during his Thursday conversation with Putin about unblocking Ukrainian ports.
“If you are asking me if there are openings for peace, the answer is no,” Draghi told reporters.
Moscow has sought to shift the blame for the food crisis to the West, calling upon its leaders to lift existing sanctions.
Putin told Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer on Friday that Ukraine should remove Black Sea mines to allow safe shipping, according to a Kremlin readout of their conversation; Russia and Ukraine have traded blame for the mines near Ukraine's ports.
Nehammer's office said the two leaders also discussed a prisoner exchange and that Putin indicated efforts to arrange one would be “intensified”.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Our policy is to provide direct money to people, says Chhattisgarh CM Baghel
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Friday said that his policy is to provide direct money to people.
- Country:
- India
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Friday said that his policy is to provide direct money to people. His remarks came during the 'Bhaint Mulakat' programme in Raipur on Friday.
"During 'Bhaint Mulakat', I've taken info about govt schemes and made announcements as per people's wishes", Baghel said. He further added, "It's the result of our government schemes that Naxals are stepping back and people are connecting with the mainstream as our policy is to provide direct money to people".
Earlier, the Chief Minister had said that the state government is ready to hold dialogue provided Naxalites have faith in the Constitution. (ANI)
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Centre launches Indian Business Portal, international trade hub for Indian exporters, foreign buyers
Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Anupriya Patel on Friday launched the Indian Business Portal - an International Trade Hub for Indian Exporters and Foreign Buyers.
- Country:
- India
Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Anupriya Patel on Friday launched the Indian Business Portal - an International Trade Hub for Indian Exporters and Foreign Buyers. As per a press release from the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry, FIEO, in partnership with GlobalLinker, has designed and developed the "Indian Business Portal" , an International Trade Hub for Indian Exporters and Foreign Buyers.
"This is a B2B digital marketplace to empower SME exporters, artisans and farmers to identify new markets for their products and grow their sales globally,' the Ministry said. During the launch of the portal, Patel said, "Indian Business Portal addresses a number of elements which are part of the vision of the Prime Minister and a commitment of this government like digitizing exporters, supporting MSME and encouraging greater exports of products Made in India".
The Minister mentioned that during the pandemic online platforms such as e-commerce have shown immense potential in supporting millions of businesses to sustain themselves. She further mentioned that this initiative has come at a very appropriate time as currently, Indian exports are witnessing robust growth.
As per the Ministry, India's overall exports (i.e. Services and Merchandise) touched USD 676.2 Billion in the financial year 2021-2022 as both Services and Merchandise hit record high exports in the financial year 2021-2022. India's overall exports were USD 526.6 Billion and USD 497.9 Billion in 2019-20 and 2020-21 respectively. The Minister further informed that India's merchandise exports had crossed USD 400-billion milestone in the financial year 2021-2022 and stood at USD 421.8 Billion which is a phenomenal increase of 44.6 per cent and 34.6 per cent over 2020-21 and 2019-20 respectively.
Lauding the initiative of FIEO, Patel said, "Indian Business Portal will be a big encouragement to Indian Startups, SMEs, Artisans and Farmers (GI Products), and Service providers to take their first step toward the exports." She expressed hope that more exporters will engage on the Indian Business Portal and would provide their valued feedback to FIEO.
Patel also mentioned that this is the most opportune time for young entrepreneurs to get into business and exports. Santosh Kumar Sarangi, Director General of Centre's Foreign Trade, said that tech-enabled governance will play a key role in determining India's growth and competitiveness.
"The government is focused on paperless, automated processing systems, simple procedures for trade players, online data exchange between departments, digital payments and acknowledgements," he said. Lauding the efforts of FIEO, Sarangi said that Progress in technology helps develop the economy and strengthen Indian firms in the competitive global market. (ANI)
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Plea in Mathura court claims Hindu deity buried beneath mosque near Diwan-e-Khas in Agra Fort
An advocate has filed new litigation in Mathura court claiming that an idol of a deity 'Thakur Keshav Dev' is buried beneath the stairs of a mosque near Diwan-e-Khas in Agra Fort.
- Country:
- India
An advocate has filed new litigation in Mathura court claiming that an idol of a deity 'Thakur Keshav Dev' is buried beneath the stairs of a mosque near Diwan-e-Khas in Agra Fort.
Further, he had prayed that a survey should be conducted and that the idol must be retrieved.
Mathura Court has returned the petition by the advocate and has further asked the plaintiff to give the notice to the defendant. (ANI)
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Iran seizes 2 Greek tankers in Persian Gulf, tensions spike
- Country:
- United Arab Emirates
Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard seized two Greek oil tankers on Friday in the Persian Gulf, just after Athens assisted the US in seizing an Iranian oil tanker over alleged sanctions violations in the Mediterranean Sea.
The Guard's announcement comes as tensions remain high between Iran and the West over stalled negotiations regarding its rapidly advancing nuclear program. And while the Persian Gulf has seen a series of attacks since former President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the accord in 2018, there has not been a major incident at sea in months.
The Guard issued a statement on its website, accusing the unnamed tankers of unspecified violations.
Greece's Foreign Ministry said it made a strong demarche to the Iranian ambassador in Athens over the “violent taking over of two Greek-flagged ships” in the Persian Gulf.
“These acts effectively amount to acts of piracy,” a ministry statement said.
The ministry called for the immediate release of the vessels and their crews, and said these acts would have “particularly negative consequences” in bilateral relations and in Iran's relations with the European Union, of which Greece is a member.
The ministry's statement said that earlier Friday, an Iranian helicopter landed on the Greek-flagged Delta Poseidon in international waters some 22 nautical miles off the coast of Iran.
“Armed men then took the crew captive,” it said, adding that two Greek nationals were among the crew.
“A similar incident has been reported on another Greek-flagged vessel, that was carrying seven Greek citizens, close to the coast of Iran,” the ministry said.
A Greek official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss details of the attack with a journalist, identified the second ship as the Prudent Warrior. Its owner, Polembros Shipping in Greece, earlier said the company was “cooperating with the authorities and making every possible effort to address the situation effectively”.
Greek officials did not identify the nationalities of the other crew onboard the vessels.
A US defence official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, said it appeared the two ships had come close to — but not in — Iranian territorial waters Friday before drifting off into Iranian waters. The ships also had turned off their tracking devices, another red flag, the official said. However, neither had issued a mayday or a call for help, the official said.
Iran had threatened to take “punitive action” earlier Friday over Athens being involved in the U.S. seizure of an Iranian oil tanker in Greek waters.
Iran's Nour News website, close to its security services, made the threat just as shipping news site Lloyd's List said it believed two Greek tankers had been seized in the Persian Gulf. Quoting anonymous industry sources, Lloyd's reported that the two ships had been boarded after Iranian military helicopters approached them on Friday afternoon. It said both tankers had just been loaded with Iraqi crude oil.
The crude oil cargo of an Iranian-flagged tanker that was stopped in Greek waters last month has been seized and is being transferred to another vessel following a request from the United States, a Greek official said Thursday.
The official said following a “judicial intervention by US authorities concerning the ship's cargo” the process is currently underway, at US government expense, for the oil “to be handed over” off the port of Karystos on the Aegean Sea island of Evia.
The official, who asked not to be identified in order to discuss the case, did not provide further details. A Justice Department spokesman in Washington and the US Embassy in Athens declined to comment Thursday.
Iran's seizure on Friday was the latest in a string of hijackings and explosions to roil a region that includes the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of all traded oil passes.
The US Navy blamed Iran for a series of limpet mine attacks on vessels that damaged tankers in 2019, as well as for a fatal drone attack on an Israeli-linked oil tanker that killed two European crew members in 2021.
Iranian hijackers also stormed and briefly captured a Panama-flagged asphalt tanker off the United Arab Emirates last year, as well as briefly seizing and holding a Vietnamese tanker in November.
Tehran denies carrying out the attacks, but a wider shadow war between Iran and the West has played out in the region's volatile waters. Meanwhile, the Guard is building a massive new support ship near the strategic Strait of Hormuz as it tries to expand its naval presence in waters vital to international energy supplies and beyond, according to satellite photos obtained by The Associated Press.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Judge dismisses Trump's lawsuit, allowing NY probe to go on
A federal judge on Friday dismissed Donald Trump's lawsuit against New York Attorney General Letitia James, rejecting the former president's claim that she targeted him out of political animus and allowing her civil investigation into his business practices to continue.
In a 43-page ruling, US District Judge Brenda Sannes wrote that case law bars federal judges from interfering in state-level investigations, with limited exceptions, and that there wasn't evidence to support the Republican's contention that James, a Democrat, was proceeding in bad faith because of their differing political views.
Sannes, who was appointed in 2014 by former President Barack Obama, a Democrat, said James had a legitimate basis for investigating Trump and his company, the Trump Organisation, and that Trump failed to show that recent court proceedings seeking to enforce subpoenas on him were “commenced for the purpose of retaliation”.
James' public statements about Trump “make clear that she disagrees vehemently with Mr Trump's political views,” Sannes wrote, but Trump and his lawyers failed to demonstrate any connection between her opinions and how the investigation has played out.
“The fact that (James') public statements reflect personal and/or political animus toward (Trump) is not, in and of itself, sufficient,” Sannes wrote.
James heralded Friday's ruling as a “big victory” over a “frivolous” lawsuit. Sannes' decision came a day after a New York appeals court ruled that Trump must answer questions under oath in James' probe, upholding a lower-court ruling requiring him to sit for a deposition.
“Time and time again, the courts have made clear that Donald J Trump's baseless legal challenges cannot stop our lawful investigation into his and the Trump Organisation's financial dealings,” James said in a written statement. “No one in this country can pick and choose how the law applies to them, and Donald Trump is no exception. As we have said all along, we will continue this investigation undeterred.” Trump's lawyer, Alina Habba, questioned Sannes' justification for dismissing the lawsuit — singling out, by name, the legal precedent at issue — and said they would take the matter to the 2nd US Court of Appeals.
“There is no question that we will be appealing this decision,” Habba said. “If Ms James's egregious conduct and harassing investigation does not meet the bad faith exception to the Younger abstention doctrine, then I cannot imagine a scenario that would.” Trump sued James in December, resorting to a familiar but seldom successful strategy of litigation in an attempt to end the three-year investigation, which James has said uncovered evidence Trump's company misstated the value of assets like skyscrapers and golf courses on financial statements for more than a decade.
Trump filed the lawsuit just after James issued subpoenas for him and his two eldest children, Ivanka and Donald Jr, to give deposition testimony in James' probe.
Trump sought an injunction barring James from investigating him and preventing her from being involved in any “civil or criminal” investigations of him and his company, such as a parallel criminal probe being led by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Although the civil investigation is separate, James' office has been involved in both. Trump also wanted a judge to declare that James violated his free speech and due process rights.
“We are sitting with our hands tied. We are simply dodging subpoenas at this point,” Habba said at a May 13 hearing.
Trump has long contended that the New York investigations are part of a politically motivated “witch hunt.” In the lawsuit, his lawyers alleged that James had violated his constitutional rights in a “thinly-veiled effort to publicly malign Trump and his associates.” The lawsuit described James as having “personal disdain” for Trump, pointing to numerous statements she's made about him, including her boast that her office sued his administration 76 times and tweets during her 2018 campaign that she had her “eyes on Trump Tower” and that Trump was “running out of time.” James' office responded that the lawsuit was a “collateral attack” on her investigation and a “complete about-face” after Trump previously agreed to turn over his 2014-2019 income tax returns to her office and his company provided more than 900,000 documents and testimony from more than a dozen current and former employees.
Trump and his company never challenged the underlying legal basis for the investigation or the attorney general's office's legal authority to conduct it until her office issued a subpoena for his testimony, James' office said.
James' office started investigating Trump in 2019 after his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen told Congress that Trump had a history of misrepresenting the value of assets to gain favourable loan terms and tax benefits.
At a May 13 hearing that precipitated Sannes' ruling Friday, a lawyer for James' office said the probe is winding down and that evidence from it could support legal action against the former president, his company, or both.
The lawyer, Andrew Amer, said “there's clearly been a substantial amount of evidence amassed that could support the filing of an enforcement proceeding,” although a final determination on filing such an action has not been made.
All of that, Amer said, “really shuts the door on any argument” by Trump's lawyers that the James' office was proceeding in bad faith.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) | https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/law-order/2053367-judge-dismisses-trumps-lawsuit-allowing-ny-probe-to-go-on | 2022-05-27T18:42:05 | en | 0.982542 |
Cannery Creamery in North Ogden has good bones and deep history in the community.
Posted at 11:43 AM, May 27, 2022
and last updated 2022-05-27 13:43:56-04
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NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas — Ask Larry Johnson about May 14th, 2019 and he will take you back.
“I remember it so clearly," he says.
The video is hard to forget. Cameras caught the exact moment the Lake Dunlap Dam broke.
GBRA experienced a spillgate failure Tuesday morning, May 14. This video shows the precise moment the middle gate collapsed resulting in the dewatering of Lake Dunlap. GBRA will provide periodic updates regarding recreational, safety or water supply issues. pic.twitter.com/xqRTlTNgg9
— Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority (@GBRATX) May 15, 2019
The dam broke two miles upstream from Johnson’s home.
“It was everything was brown and scorched it was a war zone," Johnson remembers.
Behind Johnson's home, what used to be the bottom of the lake now looks like a yard.
Within hours of the dam's failure, Lake Dunlap's water level dropped around 7 feet.
“Right now, we would be 8 feet underwater," he says as we stand below his boat ramp and look up to his diving board.
The Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority in Texas blamed the 90-year-old dam's aging steel for the failure that luckily didn't kill anyone.
Johnson says he knew with the dam's age it was at risk of failing, but still couldn't believe It actually happened.
"I mean, who would?” Johnson asks.
The Lake Dunlap dam's failure is one of roughly 40 that have happened in the past decade according to U.S. Society on Dams' President and civil engineer, Del Shannon.
“It’s distressing. We have the ability to fix these things and a limited amount of resources to do that," Shannon says.
Shannon says the average age of America's 91,000 dams is 60 years old, as the dams get older they require more upkeep.
Shannon graded our nation’s dams for the American Society of Civil Engineers' Infrastructure Report card. It comes out every four years.
While he says most of the dams that have failed were small, cases like what happened in Michigan in 2020 when two dams failed and wiped out 150 homes is why he gave our nation's dams a "D."
"I gave them a D because I’m a pretty harsh grader for one, but I don’t think any dam should fail," Shannon says.
About $3 billion of the bipartisan infrastructure law is going to dam-related projects in hopes of changing that. He says that’s a start, but more money is needed.
It will take more than $75 billion to refurbish the more than 88,000 non-federal dams across the country according to the Association of State Dam Safety Officials.
“That’s the problem with the whole infrastructure challenge. Is that until something like this happens it’s just not real," Johnson says.
Today, construction is underway on a new dam on Lake Dunlap.
Johnson says Texas lawmakers failed to pass a bill to pay for the project so, he and his neighbors formed the Lake Dunlap Water Control and Improvement District, a government entity, that has the power to raise taxes with voter approval.
Voters in the district supported raising property taxes to pay the $40 million to pay for the new dam.
“None of us would accept no for an answer," Johnson said about finding a way to rebuild the dam.
Johnson expects the dam to be in operation summer of 2023.
When it does his water will rise to where it was three years ago and for the life that comes with it to return for years to come.
“I think it’s going to be like what it was where your grandkids startup at the back door and gallop all the way down and leap into the water," Johnson says. | https://www.fox13now.com/news/national-politics/the-race/what-the-rising-age-of-americas-dams-means-for-the-future | 2022-05-27T18:42:13 | en | 0.973653 |
No tickets to three times loser in upcoming polls, says TDP's Nara Lokesh
Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national general secretary Nara Lokesh on Friday said party chief Chandrababu Naidu has decided not to give tickets in the coming polls to those candidates who have lost three times in consecutive elections previously.
- Country:
- India
Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national general secretary Nara Lokesh on Friday said party chief Chandrababu Naidu has decided not to give tickets in the coming polls to those candidates who have lost three times in consecutive elections previously. "On his part, he had proposed a 2 + 1 system in giving party positions. A debate was going on within the party on this. Anybody occupying a post for two consecutive terms should be given an upper-level post or lower-level one or none but not the same post for the third time," Lokesh told media persons at the Mahanadu venue in Ongole.
"I had asked the party chief to apply the new proposal to him (Lokesh) as well. Such proposals would help in infusing young blood at every level of the party. All would get equal opportunities to serve the party and the people," he stated. He further said that Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy had given licence to his party activists to do whatever they would like.
"As a result, the YSRCP gangs, who targetted the opposition leaders and the general public till now, had started victimising their own party cadres these days," he added. Lokesh indicated that the TDP plans to allocate 40 per cent of tickets to the youth. Among them, in addition to the political heirs, those not having any prior political background would also get a chance. Not just the heirs of leaders would constitute the youth. They would include all those who would work hard for strengthening the party.
The TDP MLC said after Mahanadu concluded, he would expose two more massive scams that were committed by Jagan Reddy. Full evidence was also available to prove these frauds. The situation right now was that the YSRCP cadres themselves were revolting against their party leaders. Lokesh said that he was ready to undertake padayatra or take part in any agitation if the party leadership ordered him.
"The TDP was ever ready to face the elections. Any debate on alliances should be taken up at the time of elections. The response to Mahanadu touched new peaks," Lokesh stated. (ANI)
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) | https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/politics/2053288-no-tickets-to-three-times-loser-in-upcoming-polls-says-tdps-nara-lokesh | 2022-05-27T18:42:13 | en | 0.988246 |
Russia-backed separatists claimed they captured a railway hub city in eastern Ukraine as Moscow's forces pushed to gain more ground Friday by pounding another Ukrainian-held area where authorities say 1,500 people have died since the start of the war.
With Russia's offensive in Ukraine's industrial Donbas region showing incremental progress, Ukrainian officials characterized the battle there in grave terms and renewed their appeals for more sophisticated Western-supplied weaponry. Without that, Ukraine's foreign minister warned, Ukrainian forces won't be able to stop Russia's advance on the east.
Some European leaders sought dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin toward ending a war in its 93rd day that has ravaged Europe's economy, while Britain's foreign minister worked to rally the West's continued support for Ukraine.
"There should be no talk of ceasefires, or appeasing Putin. We need to make sure that Ukraine wins. And that Russia withdraws and that we never see this type of Russian aggression again," U.K. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said.
But in Ukraine's east, Russia has the upper hand. The fighting Friday focused on two key cities: Sievierodonetsk and nearby Lysychansk. They are the last areas under Ukrainian control in Luhansk, one of two provinces that make up the Donbas and where Moscow-backed separatists have controlled some territory for eight years.
"There are battles on the outskirts of the city. Massive artillery shelling does not stop, day and night," Sievierodonetsk Mayor Oleksandr Striuk told The Associated Press. "The city is being systematically destroyed — 90% of the buildings in the city are damaged."
An assault was underway in the city's northeastern quarter, where Russian reconnaissance and sabotage groups tried to capture the Mir Hotel and the area around it Friday, Striuk said.
At least 1,500 people have died in Sievierodonetsk because of the war since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, he said.
The figure includes people killed by shelling or in fires caused by Russian missile strikes, as well as those who died from shrapnel wounds, untreated diseases, a lack of medicine or while trapped under rubble, according to the mayor.
About 12,000 to 13,000 people remain in the city – down from a pre-war population of about 100,000, he said. Those remaining are huddled in shelters, and largely cut off from the rest of Ukraine.
In Donetsk, the Donbas region's other province, the Russia-backed rebels said Friday they took control of Lyman, a large railway hub north of two more key cities that remain under Ukrainian control.
Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovich acknowledged that "we lost Lyman" Thursday night. However, a Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesperson reported Friday that its soldiers countered Russian attempts to push them completely out of the city.
Ukrainian analysts said Russian forces have taken advantage of delays in Western arms shipments to step up their offensive in the east and secure territory before Ukraine's fighters could push them back.
Russia brought in an additional 10-12 battalion tactical groups to the zone, military analyst Oleh Zhdanov said.
Throwing so much muscle at the offensive could also backfire by seriously depleting Russia's arsenal. Echoing an assessment from the British Defense Ministry, Zhdanov said Russia was deploying 50-year-old T-62 tanks, "which means that the second army of the world has run out of modernized equipment."
Mykola Sunhurovskyi, an analyst at Kyiv's Razumkov Center, said that going forward, "It is in Putin's interests to solidify the situation that has developed today at the front, biting off from Ukraine what there is still strength for, and secure this line of contact as a position in (eventual) negotiations."
As Ukraine's hopes of stopping the Russian advance faded, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba pleaded with Western nations: "We need heavy weapons. The only position where Russia is better than us, it's the amount of heavy weapons they have. Without artillery, without multiple launch rocket systems we won't be able to push them back."
In his nightly address to the nation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had some harsh words for the European Union, which has not agreed on a sixth round of sanctions that includes an embargo on Russian oil. With Hungary blocking the deal, EU countries are hunting for other methods to punish Russia.
"Pressure on Russia is literally a matter of saving lives," Zelenskyy said. "And every day of delay, weakness, various disputes or proposals to 'appease' the aggressor at the expense of the victim is new killed Ukrainians. And new threats to everyone on our continent."
Zelenskyy said Russia's offensive in the Donbas could leave its communities in ashes and uninhabitable. He accused Moscow of pursuing "an obvious policy of genocide" through mass deportations and killings of civilians.
On Thursday, Russian shelling of Kharkiv, a northeastern city that has been under assault while Ukrainian forces keep the invading troops out, killed nine people, including a father and his 5-month-old baby, the president said.
Associated Press reporters saw the bodies of at least two dead men and four wounded at a central subway station, where the victims were taken as shelling continued outside.
To the north, neighboring Belarus announced Friday that it was sending troops toward the Ukrainian border, raising concerns in Ukraine's military command. Russia used Belarus as a staging ground before it invaded Ukraine.
Germany's development minister traveled to Ukraine on Friday to pledge further civilian support and to discuss the country's rebuilding. Austria's chancellor, meanwhile, was set to talk to Russian President Vladimir Putin about possible prisoner exchanges.
Italian Premier Mario Draghi talked with Putin on Thursday but reported no breakthrough. "If you are asking me if there are openings for peace, the answer is no," Draghi told reporters.
Putin and Draghi's conversation focused on the question of unblocking Ukrainian ports to allow grain to be delivered to countries that are suffering a food crisis, and avoid the risk that the stores rot in port.
Moscow pressed the West on Thursday to lift sanctions already imposed over the war, seeking to shift the blame for a growing global food crisis that has been worsened by Kyiv's inability to ship millions of tons of grain and other agricultural products while under attack.
Newsy is the nation’s only free 24/7 national news network. You can find Newsy using your TV’s digital antenna or stream for free. See all the ways you can watch Newsy here. | https://www.fox13now.com/news/national/relentless-russia-squeezes-ukrainian-strongholds-in-east | 2022-05-27T18:42:15 | en | 0.96919 |
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