The classified "homeland defense plan" outlines how the government would respond in the immediate aftermath of a strike on British territory by a hostile foreign nation This marks the fifth known prisoner of war (POWs) swap of 2025 and the 64th since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022 The suspension reportedly affected 11 shipments of artillery shells and weapons from Dover Air Force Base and a U.S Trump said that Russia has grown more willing to negotiate an end to its war against Ukraine following a sharp decline in oil prices Poland will hold presidential elections on May 18 as the country faces key debates over social policy and national security that could shape its political trajectory The annual report said Russia is using aggressive tactics such as unauthorized airspace incursions and close encounters with NATO ships and aircraft including Iranian-designed Shahed-type drones located about 70 kilometers northwest of Donetsk remains one of the most fiercely contested sectors of the front where Russia has concentrated its main offensive efforts since March  (Updated:  May 6, 2025 11:41 am)Ukraine's drones target Moscow second night in a row, Russian official claims, ahead of Victory Day parade. Debris from one of the drones reportedly fell on the Kashirskoye Highway The reported attack comes just days before Russia's Victory Day parade and three-day "truce." Vice President Mike Pence said Putin "only understands power." About 800 million euros ($905 million) will be allocated for the acquisition and installation of anti-tank mines to deter potential aggression by Tim ZadorozhnyyPresident Volodymyr Zelensky (R) and First Lady Olena Zelenska (C) arrived in the Czech Republic on May 4 (Volodymyr Zelensky / X)President Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska arrived in the Czech Republic on May 4 for an official visit Czech President Petr Pavel will host Zelensky at the Prague Castle later in the afternoon marking the Ukrainian leader's first visit to the country since July 2023 Prague has supplied military aid, championed European Union efforts to secure weapons for Ukraine and provided refuge for hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians who have fled the war Zelensky thanked the Czech Republic for its "principled support" and highlighted key areas of cooperation "The Czech artillery initiative has proven effective, and we will continue this effort," he wrote on X "Another area of cooperation is the development of our military aviation The Czech artillery initiative has significantly bolstered Ukraine's artillery capabilities Launched in 2024 to counter ammunition shortages caused by delayed U.S. aid the program focuses on pooling resources to rapidly supply Ukraine's front-line forces Zelensky said discussions would also focus on diplomatic coordination and "joint pressure on Russia to achieve a lasting ceasefire and an end to the war." Pavel visited Ukraine on March 20–21, his second trip since taking office, where he met with Zelensky and reaffirmed Czech support for Ukraine's defense and reconstruction efforts. Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent. Based in Warsaw, he is pursuing studies in International Relations, focusing on European Studies. Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa. After moving to Warsaw, he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA, starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor. but few give credit to heroes born abroad as Amhrán na bhFiann does Irish international football changed irrevocably Few people watching the 1-0 victory over Spain on May 5th could have known that Manchester-born Shay Brennan who was among the green shirts for the first time that day was to be the forerunner to more than 100 other international footballers born “beyond the wave” The previous year, Fifa had overhauled the regulations concerning national teams’ representation As the proposal read to the 1964 Fifa conference in Tokyo noted: “A player who is a citizen of a country by virtue of his birth or by the nationality of his father .. is qualified to play in international or representative teams for that country.“ footballers couldn’t switch nations once they turned 18 While Northern Ireland’s Harry Cavan spoke in Tokyo, the FAI‘s delegate – if present – was silent on the change The news also failed to make any Irish newspaper pages now no longer able to cap three-time nation-hoppers such as Alfredo Di Stefano or László Kubala as Andres Merce Varela of Barcelona’s El Mundo Deportivo admitted because switching countries had “detracted from the idea of football between nations ...” Questions remain as to why the FAI had not previously sought players born abroad, given that the IRFU had long picked “Anglos” and most Irish footballers played in Britain a journeyman born in Durham made four appearances for the Irish Free State between 1927 and 1932 was a desire to avoid treading on the toes of the Football Association by taking “their” players the FAI remained reluctant to search the English football league for Irish names James Quinn claims in No Foreign Game that they ignored Matt Busby’s initial tip-off about Brennan because of what he believes was embarrassment at acknowledging Britain’s hidden Irish community FAI secretary Joe Wickham passed Brennan’s name to the selectors but not before tentatively contacting the FA to see whether he was likely to be called up by Alf Ramsey Fifa removed the discriminatory “paternal” clause Londoner Chris Hughton became Ireland’s first mixed-race player qualifying to play for the country through his mother This milestone was achieved before colonialist countries such as Spain or Belgium while Hughton’s debut coincided with the first time a majority of a Republic of Ireland starting XI was foreign-born Irish citizenship law allowed a shift to not just grandparents but great-grandparents who proved the lack of Irish birth or close generational ties did not hamper commitment told Marca in 2012: “When I played with Ireland I felt something more powerful than when I played with Liverpool I felt that I was defending an important nation.” Mind you weeks before his debut in Paris in October 1980 he had responded to the question in Match Weekly “Who would you like to meet most?” with “[England manager] Ron Greenwood on business.” And here lay a major problem with the “granny rule”: footballers were often accused of choosing Ireland more from their head than their heart It seemed to confuse some onlookers that the likes of Andy Townsend That simplistic view missed the point that being of mixed heritage meant that split loyalties were entirely natural and not an issue for the player involved at all It is very easy to cheer for more than one country if you have roots in more than one country Qualification for Euro 88 brought the granny rule into the crosshairs of the English press After Ireland beat England at that tournament the Daily Mail’s Jeff Powell led the charge raging that England had lost to “a bunch of international mercenaries recruited from their own First Division” Many in the English media sought to undermine the Irish team’s authenticity and shoneen Irish journalists willingly joined in But ultimately the foreign-born footballers brought a belated recognition of the diaspora in Ireland Most Irish football fans are now aware that a significant number of their travelling companions are also foreign-born with foreign accents Perhaps the most significant feature of the granny rule is how other countries now use it often with the same angst about commitment and damage to the local game Albania has emerged recently as a more aggressive pursuer of qualified players than the FAI ever were 69.23 per cent of its panel was foreign born beating the 65 per cent of the Irish squad in 1988 although still below the 72.73 per cent for Italia 90 [ Giants in Green: Michael Walker’s greatest all-time all-Ireland XIOpens in new window ] Facebook pageTwitter feed© 2025 The Irish Times DAC a formerly progressive Democrat who has decidedly shifted right in recent years delivered a hard-line—and honestly bloodthirsty—stance in opposition to a ceasefire in Gaza during a meeting with pro-Israel group J Street’s president Jeremy Ben-Ami in February “Let’s get back to killing,” Fetterman said, referring to Israel’s mass slaughter of Palestinians. A person who heard the conversation told New York magazine that Fetterman a staunch supporter of Israel’s military campaign Fetterman denied this account and insisted that if he’d advocated for slaughter he was speaking solely about members of Hamas “I do support the destruction of that organization These statements and others are part of what current and former staffers believe is a trend of troubling, erratic behavior from Fetterman, detailed in the sweeping report that was published Friday The senator’s unsettling behavior and “I’m not progressive” flip has driven out multiple staffers including three of his top spokespeople and his legislative director was so concerned by Fetterman’s erratic behavior that he stepped down from his position in April 2024 Jentleson wrote a lengthy email to David Williamson the medical director of the traumatic brain injury and neuropsychiatry unit at Walter Reed Medical Center detailing the radical changes he’d seen in his boss believing that he may be severely struggling with his mental health following a stroke in 2022 like doubts that his boss was taking his medications Jentleson said that Fetterman was demonstrating “conspiratorial thinking” and “megalomania.” Fetterman “claims to be the most knowledgeable source on Israel and Gaza around but his sources are just what he reads in the news—he declines most briefings and never reads memos,” Jentleson wrote Fetterman had claimed that he had never met an Arab person who would condemn Hamas but the notes from the meeting stated that only a “single Arab he has met with that staff was present for wouldn’t outright condemn Hamas.” After Israel set off on its genocidal campaign in Gaza Fetterman’s controversial social media posts alarmed staff members and constituents alike Fetterman’s increasingly callous rhetoric about Palestine has manifested a sharp rift between him and the progressive staffers who saw him elected to the Senate in 2022 it’s not clear if he’ll be able to continue in the Senate–let alone run for reelection in 2028 Fetterman was also the first Democratic senator to meet with Trump at Mar-a-Lago in January earning him praise from the far-right president “I couldn’t be more impressed,” Trump said at the time It’s not clear how much of Fetterman’s turn to the right is related to his health issues and Jentleson was more concerned for his former boss’s well-being than his political transformation “I believed in John’s ability to work through struggles that lots of Americans share,” he said “He’s not locked into a downward trajectory; he could get back in treatment at any time and for a long time I held out hope that he would “Part of the tragedy here is that this is a man who could be leading Democrats out of the wilderness,” Jentleson said “But I also think he’s struggling in a way that shouldn’t be hidden from the public.” The Department of Health and Human Services plans to end research into how to improve child welfare programs like Head Start, according to an email mistakenly sent by an HHS employee to grant recipients.  The email contained a spreadsheet listing 150 research projects on HHS’s chopping block including grants funded by the Office of Planning The office’s mission is to build “evidence to improve lives” by helping to examine programs helping low-income children and families.  Other research grants under consideration for termination are related to childcare policy and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program Over 50 universities were listed as having their grants terminated in the document with state agencies and nonprofits also at risk of losing funding.  The possible cancellation of these grants comes after HHS already made heavy cuts to its Administration for Children and Families which is closing five regional offices and fired hundreds of employees last month Now, the news that research examining and supporting Head Start could be cut is an ominous sign. The Trump administration seems intent on cutting the program and everything connected to it, even though it has widespread support from the public Head Start offices have closed around the country.  What will fill the void for low-income families in America The version of Signal that recently ousted national security adviser Mike Waltz was caught checking during a Cabinet meeting Wednesday is an unofficial edition of the app meant to archive messages, according to 404 Media The archiving capability suggests that the app may not use end-to-end encryption making it less secure than the standard version of Signal there is a visible message at the bottom of Waltz’s screen asking him to verify his “TM SGNL PIN.” This is different from the standard version of Signal where this notification just reads “Verify your Signal PIN.” Not only was Waltz using a private insecure platform to discuss highly sensitive information he was using the least secure version of that platform to do so “TM SGNL” refers to a program from software company TeleMessage that captures and stores Signal messages for the user White House communications director Steven Cheung on Thursday said that “Signal is an approved app that is loaded onto our government phones.” It’s not clear if other Trump officials are using the far less secure TM SGNL as well The latest controversy comes as both Waltz and current Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have made headlines for multiple Signal chats. On Thursday, Trump removed Waltz from his post as national security adviser and nominated him to be U.S At least one Republican is thinking about the millions of Americans that depend on Medicaid represents more Medicaid recipients in his district than anyone else in his party He also appears to be one of the few Republicans working overtime to keep the fallout of his party’s Medicaid slashing spree to a minimum Valadao has spent weeks coordinating group chats with other concerned conservatives and lobbying leadership over the proposed cuts He also led a letter protest signed by a dozen vulnerable Republicans opposing the bill all in hope of steering the party’s cart in a different direction from the steep cuts “He’s got a very good sense of what Americans need out of their health care. I appreciate his leadership,” New York Representative Nick LaLota, another vulnerable Republican, told Politico Friday “He’s been clear in his communications: We shouldn’t be throwing people off Medicaid who are designed to be on the program.” who similarly has a lot of Medicaid recipients in his district described Valadao as a “total pillar” of the internal Medicaid debate “He’s someone I immediately gravitated to,” Bresnahan told Politico Republicans have spent months attempting to pencil out a $880 billion cut to the program in order to extend Trump’s 2017 tax cuts for corporations and billionaires in an effort to make the tax cut’s estimated $6.8 trillion deficit hike more palatable to their base knows that his political future depends on keeping his constituents happy The lawmaker was one of many House Republicans to lose his job in 2018 after he voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act—a failed effort that would have stripped health insurance from millions of Americans Valadao was back in office with a better grip on the stakes of the job Valadao and his cohort are already facing aggressive counter campaigns featuring provocative TV ads and town hills that oppose the Republican-led cuts “We’re going through this partisan exercise to do what is supposed to be a tax bill on an issue that desperately needs reform to make it better,” Valadao told Politico One much-discussed solution to square the Medicaid cuts is to make the program more exclusive by way of adding returning work requirements which House Speaker Mike Johnson said in April would encourage young men to “be at work instead of playing video games all day.” Republican proposals to introduce a work requirement to Medicaid have thus far asked recipients to navigate work-reporting and verification systems on a monthly basis—a detail that would require significant federal funding The plans would also negate coverage for individuals who find themselves temporarily unemployed such as those who were recently fired or laid off A February report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found that introducing work requirements to the insurance program could strip upwards of 36 million Americans of their health coverage—half of Medicaid’s 72 million enrollees President—it looks like Donald Trump may be getting his wish of a massive parade in his honor The Associated Press reported late Thursday that the Army’s most recent plans to celebrate its 250th anniversary include a large military parade scheduled to take place on June 14 which just happens to be the day Trump will turn 79 years old The Army’s blueprints call for a whopping 6,600 soldiers which could include historic Army vehicles and even tanks that could significantly damage the streets of Washington When Trump first pitched having a military parade in the nation’s capital in 2018 plans were abandoned due to the exorbitant cost: roughly $92 million Imagining that these plans include many of the same features as the ones from seven years ago inflation would put the price tag closer to $117 million Not to mention the cost of the Army festival already planned for the National Mall Plans for an expensive and frivolous military parade obviously fly in the face of the Trump administration’s supposedly necessary cost-cutting measures. In reality, the cuts are more punitive than actually thrifty. Trump signed an executive order Friday directing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to stop allocating funds to PBS and NPR The CPB disperses $535 million in taxpayer funds to public stations for educational and cultural programming placing the funding outside of Trump’s realm of control With the massive cuts to educational public programming, the president can almost afford to throw his lavish birthday party But he’d still need to scrape together several additional millions President Trump on Thursday signed an executive order that ends public government funding of NPR and PBS in yet another culturally polarized attack on anything deemed “woke.” today the media landscape is filled with abundant and innovative news options,” the executive order reads “Government funding of news media in this environment is not only outdated and unnecessary but corrosive to the appearance of journalistic independence.” as both NPR and PBS receive most of their funding from independent sponsors And yet the order would limit funding to rural areas in particular as those stations receive the most of the sliver of government funding that NPR and PBS receive “This order defies the will of the American people and would devastate the public safety, educational and local service missions of public media—services that the American public values, trusts and relies on every day,” said America’s Public Television Stations CEO Kate Riley She went on to note that those rural stations provide a “lifeline in hundreds of communities where there is no other source of local media.” Donald Trump is trying to force Harvard University into subservience and on Friday he announced that the institution will lose its tax-exempt status.  “We are going to be taking away Harvard’s Tax Exempt Status. It’s what they deserve!” Trump posted on Truth Social.  The move comes after weeks of threats following Harvard President Alan Garber’s announcement last month that the university would not give in to the Trump administration’s demands outlined in a letter from the Department of Education reforming Harvard’s admissions process for international students and dismantling programs with “egregious records of antisemitism.” threatening to end Harvard’s ability to enroll any future international students if it didn’t comply It’s all part of conservatives’ war on higher education, which they see as a liberal bastion in American life. Many on the right were also incensed at university protests across the country against Israel’s war in Gaza over the past year it seems that Trump is threatening the existence of America’s oldest university as a show of force.  The Trump administration has shut down a Biden-era program to end sewage backups into central Alabama homes that the DOJ “will no longer push ‘environmental justice’ as viewed through a distorting an independent investigation by the DOJ found that the county’s low-income residents have not had basic sanitation for generations Human wastewater is piped into ditches and poorly constructed systems instead of wastewater systems Increased rainfall in recent years due to climate change has led to contaminated water flooding into homes, vegetation, and even drinking water. It’s not uncommon for untreated sewage to back up into residents’ backyards, or even sinks and bathtubs. A 2017 study found that a third of the county’s adults suffered from ringworm an intestinal parasite that was thought to have been eradicated in the U.S More than 300 families in Lowndes County have to deal with this problem “We have to be extra sanitary because people getting sick can be a problem,” Annye Burke In 2025 we shouldn’t have to deal with this According to the Trump administration, it’s not the federal government’s responsibility either. The White House has also moved to end environmental justice in the Environmental Protection Agency which would hurt similar efforts across the country to end environmental hazards in different communities the majority of which are in areas where Trump supporters live It seems that ensuring people can live free in uncontaminated areas is too woke for the right wing Donald Trump’s announcement Thursday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio would replace Mike Waltz to serve as the interim national security adviser appears to have taken the State Department completely by surprise When a reporter asked State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce during a press briefing about Rubio’s new role “It is clear that I just heard this from you,” Bruce said A flustered Bruce couldn’t answer questions about the announcement I have some insights as to the potential of certain things that might happen,” she vamped “You can have a general sense of what’s possible but I think that one thing certainly that I have learned is that things don’t happen until the president says they’re going to happen,” she added Bruce admitted she’d been caught off guard incredulously attributing Trump’s sudden announcement to “the miracle of modern technology.” If the State Department’s spokesperson wasn’t made aware of the announcement it’s likely that Trump’s decision was not given much time to marinate at the State Department raising questions about whether Rubio had any advance notice at all that he’d be taking on yet another government job Bruce’s apparent shock also raised even more questions about the circumstances surrounding Waltz’s sudden departure earlier Thursday who was responsible for precipitating the Signalgate scandal that rocked the White House will now serve as Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations the Trump adviser who accidentally invited a journalist to a war plans group chat on Signal was caught casually scrolling through his Signal messages during a Cabinet meeting Thursday Calls and messages to or from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Vice President JD Vance could be seen on his phone which appeared to have no privacy screen and the brightness raised to the max who was White House national security adviser at the time the photos were taken seemed to think it was a good idea to use Signal in a room full of reporters Trump announced Thursday that Waltz will be leaving his post as national security adviser Maybe he’ll find a privacy screen by the time he starts his new job With the Koreans fighting back after dropping the first game, Feng took an injury time out at 16-17 down in the second with an apparent groin strain. He was given a yellow card for spraying the affected area when he was supposed to wait for the interval, but the reigning world champions picked up where they left off to level the match at one game apiece. When Huang took too long to return from a toilet break before the decider, the Chinese were shown a red card with the Koreans handed a one-point headstart. After boos from the crowd, the home pair won four points in a row to take control. And five consecutive points saw them take an 11-5 lead into the changeover. A delicate backhand flick from Seo pulled the Koreans back to within one, but Feng and Huang went on the attack and took seven of the next nine points to complete victory. An Se-young put the Koreans on the board with a 21-17 She led 11-10 at the first mid-game interval but An went 17-14 ahead before her Chinese opponent drew level at 17-all An then won four straight points to take the opener The reigning Olympic champion trailed 6-3 in the second but then showed her class to take an 11-9 advantage into the break She even managed to hit a cross-court smash winner despite both players having broken strings on their rackets but An was too strong and prevailed in 57 minutes as she ended the week without dropping a game 1 had won all three of their previous meetings and his attacking power was simply too much for Jeon Shi led 8-4 before winning 12 points without reply to set up match point Jeon saved the first but not the second as Shi wrapped up victory in just 33 minutes to make it 2-1 for China That gave Liu and Tan the chance to seal the title against Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee The Koreans had won five of their eight previous meetings including their last clash in the semi-finals at the 2024 World Tour Finals There was little to separate the pairings in the first game with Baek and Lee showing superb defence to stay in touch with the Chinese But they could not resist for long with Liu's power at the net helping the home team take it 21-14 It was a similar story at the start of the second game as the Chinese duo raced into a 7-2 lead but Liu and Tan took an 11-8 advantage into the mid-game interval but Baek and Lee won seven of the next eight points to level The last of those was controversial as Tan played a return when she had her hand up asking for Lee to delay her serve and the umpire awarded Republic of Korea the point with the Chinese appealing in vain Liu and Tan took the next four points to bring up four match points They converted at the second time of asking to win 21-14 21-17 with their teammates rushing onto the court to celebrate yet another Chinese badminton success Mixed doubles: Feng Yanzhe/Huang Dongping (CHN) def Women's singles: Wang Zhiyi (CHN) lost to An Se-young (KOR) 17-21 Liang Weikeng/Wang Chang (CHN) v Kim Won-ho/Seo Seung-jae (KOR) - not played (AP Photo/Andy Manis) The arrest of a Wisconsin judge in her chambers is just the latest and most dramatic effort by the Trump administration to intimidate the judiciary It follows the playbook of other countries where those seeking authoritarian power have sought to remove judges and lessen their authority President Donald Trump and those around him know that at this point the only real check on his actions will come from the courts. Neither Congress nor members of his administration have shown any proclivity for ensuring compliance with the law. Trump posted his disdain on X and his platform Truth Social: “He who saves his Country does not violate any Law.” Dozens of federal judges have issued temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions halting unconstitutional and illegal Trump actions since his inauguration on Jan The president’s response has been to attack judges in as brazen a manner as he’s broken the law District Court Judge James Boasberg issued a temporary restraining order banning flights taking supposed gang members to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador Trump called him a “radical left lunatic of a judge a troublemaker and agitator” who should be impeached In fact, Republicans in the House of Representatives have introduced impeachment resolutions against six federal district court judges who have ruled against Trump policies The Constitution allows judges to be impeached only for “treason or high crimes and misdemeanors.” In an extraordinary public statement “Impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision.” Even if the House passes the impeachment resolutions there is no way that two-thirds of the Senate would vote to remove the judges from office But that misses the point of the attacks: They send a message that the Trump administration will go after those on the bench who block his policies and a message to the country that the courts cannot stop him Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has joined in the bullying “We do have the authority over the federal courts We have power of funding over the courts and all these other things.” No one believes Congress is about to eliminate federal courts but Johnson wants to intimidate and discredit them The FBI’s arrest of Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan in her courtroom for allegedly trying to help an undocumented immigrant avoid arrest after he appeared in court The sight of federal officials putting a judge in handcuffs is undeniably chilling immigration officials do not arrest individuals with business at a courthouse It is important that witnesses and parties to litigation can come forward and participate in the legal system without fear of arrest or deportation schools and churches have been off limits for Immigration and Customs Enforcement People should be able to seek medical care to take their children to school and to worship without fear But the Trump administration is sending ICE into all these places this creates a conflict between the federal government and other levels of government The administration could have verbally condemned the judge or had a grand jury indict her Public safety was in no way served by handcuffing Dugan at the courthouse That was done entirely for the media attention The administration’s attack on the judiciary taken together with its extortionate executive-order demands of law firms represents a challenge to the rule of law unlike anything before in U.S But what he and his allies are doing is not unfamiliar I used to begin my constitutional law classes by having students read the U.S Constitution and the not-dissimilar Stalin-era Soviet Constitution They were always surprised by the far more elaborate statement of rights in the Russian document compared with America’s I also had them read a description of Stalin’s killings and the gulags did one country become a police state when the other did not was that in the Soviet Union no court could or would invalidate the government’s actions Words on paper are meaningless if they are not enforceable The Trump administration is pushing past the limits of executive power to weaken and discredit the only guardrail left against his authoritarianism — lawyers Those of all political parties and ideologies must speak up loudly and clearly: These attacks are wrong and must stop Our constitutional democracy depends on an independent judiciary that enforces the law against all who violate it is an opinion contributor for the Los Angeles Times In the waning days of the Constitutional Convention in 1787 who was a political activist and Philadelphia socialite We forget that the framers were working in secret and that no one outside a small circle knew what they were doing They were charged by the Continental Congress with the task of amending the Articles of Confederation But most of them — including James Madison and George Washington — knew the articles weren’t strong enough to stand the test of time Franklin’s response has reverberated through the ages echoing off ballots when we cast them each election We’ve strived to live up to the creed in the Declaration of Independence that all people are created equal and that life and the pursuit of happiness are inherent rights of all people and science that our founders could never dream of it probably has rarely met — the aspirations of the Declaration of Independence One of the most accurate predictors of life expectancy is a person’s zip code The health disparity between neighborhoods is stark We have greater wealth disparity in our country right now than we’ve had since before the Great Depression We have the kind of disparity Jefferson feared and called “the artificial aristocracy.” Through the framework of the Constitution — and with blood and protest — rights that were once reserved only for landowners were slowly While the founders had an incredible vision for democracy And not a single woman signed any of our founding documents they laid the groundwork for a democracy that has lasted and that has survived a civil war and reckonings on gender We’ve spent the last 250 years fending off the demons the founders saw lurking in the shadows They knew the Constitution was far from perfect and was riddled with compromise not the least of which were the three-fifths clause and the limiting of power to landowning men The imperfection was reflected in a speech Franklin delivered the same day he was asked that question by Elizabeth Powell He wrote that other forms of government have descended into despotism — governments run by kings and tyrants — and that our government could have the same fate He knew that the power and promise of a democratic republic only begins with the Constitution; it cannot be sustained by the Constitution alone The people have to choose to keep it and can keep it by voting our democratic republic constantly renews itself that all men are created equal and are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights and the pursuit of happiness.” All these years later amazing words from the Declaration of Independence for granted it marked the first time in history anyone had thought to write down such sentiments What does the Declaration of Independence mean today and contacted their representatives in response to the silence from Congress and the actions of the current administration to trample on the fabric of the republic established 250 years ago Next year will mark 250 years since the founders declared our independence and our values Now is a good time for us to take stock of who we are How has the pursuit of happiness evolved in 250 years What will the next renewal of these fundamental values look like We get to write this next chapter together We get to start the renewal at our choosing Chad McKenna lives in Duluth and is a political and labor organizer BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, May 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Binance the global blockchain ecosystem behind the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange and the National Agency for Investments under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at creating a long-term sustainable foundation for collaboration in advancing the rapidly growing digital-asset sector in the Kyrgyz Republic The signing of the memorandum took place during a first meeting of the Council for the Development of Digital Assets with the participation of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic The MoU sets the stage for collaboration between the National Agency for Investments and Binance on several fronts The partnership will see the introduction of crypto payments to the Kyrgyz Republic through Binance Pay This initiative is set to revolutionize cross-border payment solutions across Central Asia and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) paving the way for smoother and more efficient transactions across the region The agreement also emphasizes educational initiatives one of the world's largest educational hubs for blockchain and cryptocurrency will assist the National Agency for Investments of the Kyrgyz Republic in creating comprehensive educational programs designed to raise awareness among government agencies and financial institutions these initiatives will focus on enhancing Kyrgyz citizens' financial literacy and supporting domestic Web3 projects ultimately elevating the knowledge and skills that the people of Kyrgyzstan will need to thrive in the era of digital finance "We are thrilled to embark on this strategic partnership with Binance which marks a pivotal step in advancing the crypto-assets sector in the Kyrgyz Republic This collaboration not only underscores our commitment to fostering innovation and economic growth but also highlights the importance of embracing digital transformation in today's global economy we aim to create a robust framework that supports the development of crypto-assets and opens new avenues for cross-border payments ultimately benefiting our citizens and the broader region." — Farhat Iminov Head of National Agency for Investments of the Kyrgyz Republic "Binance is excited to partner with the National Agency for Investments of the Kyrgyz Republic to drive forward the development of crypto-assets in the region This Memorandum of Understanding represents a shared vision for leveraging blockchain technology to create sustainable economic opportunities improve financial inclusion and advance the freedom of money in Kyrgyzstan We look forward to working closely with our partners on all levels of the Kyrgyz government to implement innovative solutions and educational initiatives that will empower individuals and institutions alike." — Kyrylo Khomiakov Regional Head of CEE About National Investments Agency under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic The National Investments Agency under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic is a governmental agency promoting foreign investments and assisting international companies in finding business opportunities in the Kyrgyz Republic The primary objectives of the National Agency are to attract and promote investment inflow to the national economy to assist existing and potential exporters in promoting their products to overseas markets as well as to develop mechanisms for public-private partnership CONTACT: [email protected]  the global blockchain ecosystem trusted by over 270 million users worldwide the global blockchain ecosystem behind the largest crypto exchange by trading volume is proud to announce that it has received an.. 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That lightweight quality makes it a fresh alternative to shorts or skirts when you want to dress up on warmer days. Pair it with sandals or sneakers for an errand run or quick coffee meetup or dress it up with wedges and statement jewelry for special occasions The pleat detailing and organza layer give it an extra oomph!" Don't miss it while it's on sale in your favorite color Prices are accurate and items in stock at time of publishing The comic starts with Farzala attempting to evacuate the city of Bri-Phrang with more Nihil forces on the way minor character Ishnar Ti-Kharatal declares her love for Farzala Farzala then has a fight that rages in his mind with his old master Obratuk If you read that last paragraph and had to look up who Ishnar was Myself and another coworker of mine here had to do the same While this reveal is a key moment for the story (Editor’s note: and for the fans that “ship” everyone) it fell utterly flat as I — and I’m sure many other readers — uttered to themselves “Who!?” There’s zero build-up to it And what it does is just become a distraction from all the awesome chaos and mayhem that readers got a taste of in the previous issues artist Harvey Tolibao returns to help capture and portray the chaos and mayhem perfectly as panels spread across both pages and with so many characters on each page It’s the same here as every inch of the page is filled to the brim with characters it’s a bit disappointing to see that the main cast of characters are still dealing with mental battles of doubt and discouragement and that these characters have matured past While it does produce a cool-looking battle sequence with Farzala’s tentacled master with Obratuk and Farzala drawn in engaging stances part of me expected more growth for Farzala jaw-dropping sequences and battle moments worth the price of admission something else occurs that makes the story take a step back and lose speed again The High Republic Adventures still has a few more issues planned but part of me is also wondering how long the creative team is going to stretch this story out for Thank you to Dark Horse for providing the review copy used for this post Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures issue #17 is available now at local comic book stores and on digital store shelves Jay Goodearl runs the YouTube Gaming channel “Good Games Dude” His channel aims to open up video games to beginners and immediate players and help them understand what makes games the art form that it is the Conch Republic “seceded where others failed.” The mock island republic celebrated its 43rd anniversary of independence from April 18-27 The 10-day affair culminated with a Conch Republic victory over the U.S The battle occurs each year in Key West Harbor where good-spirited service members from the Coast Guard take to their boats — and train their water cannons on the eclectic Conch Republic naval fleet composed of everything from historic schooners to snorkel boats.  The Coast Guard ultimately surrendered to the island republic and a lasting peace was established — until next year.  The Conch Republic was established on April 23 Border Patrol blockade at the top of the Florida Keys that was crippling traffic — and tourism — in the island chain Mayor Dennis Wardlow turned a protest into a public-relations bonanza and “seceded” from the United States The newly formed Conch Republic declared its independence with a spirited and humorous attitude — then promptly surrendered.  but the celebration of that independent island spirit lives on every April Get Keys Weekly delivered right to your inbox along with a daily dose of Keys News The collaboration aims to explore and develop initiatives within the digital assets sector The two parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during the inaugural session of the Council for the Development of Digital Assets which was attended by President Sadyr Japarov.  The agreement outlines a collaborative approach to integrating cryptocurrency payment solutions and expanding digital finance education in the country A noteworthy element of the partnership includes enabling crypto payments via Binance Pay with the goal of simplifying financial transactions for international visitors to Kyrgyzstan Officials suggest that the measure could play a role in streamlining cross-border payments within Central Asia and the broader Eurasian Economic Union Binance Academy will support the Kyrgyz government's efforts to develop training and awareness programmes related to blockchain and digital assets The initiative is aimed at government departments The primary focus will be on improving financial literacy among Kyrgyz citizens and supporting emerging Web3 projects within the country.  A representative from the National Agency for Investments stated that the agreement is intended to lay the groundwork for long-term development of the crypto-assets sector while promoting economic transformation the cooperation reflects an effort to introduce modern financial tools and raise public understanding of digital finance.  described the MoU as part of the company’s objective to promote blockchain adoption and economic inclusion in Central Asia They indicated that the company would continue to work with Kyrgyz authorities to implement regulatory and educational initiatives aligned with this goal This is The Arizona Republic's top 10 high school baseball players for the week of April 28-May 3 He went 3-for-3 with four RBIs and a double in an 11-1 play-in win over Thunderbird and executed a game-ending double-play in a 10-9 win over ALA Gilbert North in the first round of the 4A tournament The Oregon commit put Queen Creek in the 6A tournament with a walk-off ,run-scoring hit to beat Tucson 2-1 in a play-in game He homered in a 6-5 loss to Sandra Day O'Connor in the first round of the double-eliminaton state tournament In a 5-1 2A play-in win over Scottsdale Prep 6-5 victory over Queen Creek in the first round of the 6A tournament He also started a four-run sixth inning with a single The Arizona State signee was dominant in a 5-1 5A tournament win over Buena 3-1 win over Sunrise Mountain in the 5A tournament He combined with Austin Burr for 14 innings scattering seven hits and giving up two earned runs walking two and striking out 11 in two playoff wins 11-1 5A tournament win over Paradise Valley He had a bases-clearing double in a 9-8 win over St Mary's in the first round of the 4A tournament To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert atrichard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter:@azc_obert still has sizing left and rings in at $240 I wore the loafers for the entire weekend while bopping around Chicago for a wedding I'm not kidding when I say I received multiple compliments on them each day including at some of the designer stores I visited A stylist in one of the luxury stores noted the flattering toe shape and the way they popped with long trousers She was in shock when I mentioned that they weren't over a thousand dollars like the shoe styles featured in her store but were under $250 and from Banana Republic but I've already worn them so much—that cost per wear is strong Keep scrolling to see how I styled the Banana Republic loafers and shop the remaining styles while you can I don't think they'll be in stock by the end of the week currently leading the market team to deliver highly covetable and convertible content He creates data-driven shopping guides featuring top retailers like Nordstrom and Net-a-Porter and is at the forefront of Who What Wear's shopping tentpole strategies He also works on branded content initiatives and appears on camera in video and shopping livestream franchises Caesars Entertainment is set to introduce a new chapter in Lake Tahoe’s hospitality and gaming sector with the launch of Caesars Republic Lake Tahoe a reimagined luxury resort emerging from the transformation of the long-standing Harveys Lake Tahoe is scheduled to begin unveiling its first phase this summer with the official brand transition taking place on July 1 According to Caesars Entertainment President and COO Anthony Carano the renovation seeks to match Lake Tahoe’s natural allure with a bold “The property transformation has begun and will continue throughout 2026 with the all-new hotel tower stellar restaurants and the start of a completely reimagined casino coming online this summer for our guests to enjoy right away,” he said The project will pause during peak summer months and is expected to be fully completed by mid-2026 includes upgrades across the 1.6 million-square-foot property Central to the renovation is the revitalized 88,000-square-foot casino floor along with the introduction of new slot machines and a dedicated World Series of Poker Room In addition to gaming, Caesars Republic will enhance guest accommodation with full remodels of all rooms in the Remus Tower and upgraded features in the Romulus Tower Select suites will also offer butler service will transition from a daytime café to a nighttime lounge adding to the property’s upscale dining and entertainment offerings which already include WOLF by Vanderpump and Gordon Ramsay HELL’S KITCHEN SVP and General Manager of Harrah’s and Caesars Republic Lake Tahoe explaied the blend of heritage and innovation behind the transformation “This transformation honors the storied history of Harveys while introducing modern amenities and elevated experiences that will redefine luxury in Lake Tahoe,” she said Across the street, Harrah’s Lake Tahoe linked to Caesars Republic by an underground connector including enhancements to its Summit Suites and the recent debut of Brew Brothers Additional tech and facility improvements are in progress across both properties Caesars Republic Lake Tahoe follows the 2024 debut of Caesars Republic Scottsdale marking the second location in the Caesars Republic portfolio the Lake Tahoe property began as a modest café and has grown into the area’s largest casino Countries & Areas Bureaus & Offices About Office of the Spokesperson The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the French Republic, the State of Qatar, the Republic of Rwanda, and the Republic of Togo. Finally, the representatives expressed their appreciation to the State of Qatar for hosting the discussions, and reaffirmed their shared commitment to continued dialogue and collective action toward a peaceful and stable future for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the region. We use cookies to make our website work better and improve your experience. By continuing to use the site, you agree to our privacy policy. This gender comparative work argues that significant dissimilarities in the degree of higher education truly exist between women and men in the Eastern DRC provinces. As the collected data in October 2020 demonstrates below : among 2404 (1202 women and 1202 men) respondents - 191 women (16%) compared to 312 men (26%) have a higher education degree. Table Level of Higher Education – Eastern DRC (HHI, October 2020). ​CategoriesCategoriesEnglishGENERALKing Philippe receives ceremonial welcome in Czech Republic5 May 2025 King Philippe was greeted with a red carpet welcome and a military ceremony in Prague on Monday The King is visiting the Czech Republic to take part in a ceremony commemorating the liberation of the city of Pilsen the King was greeted by Czech president Petr Pavel and dozens of Czech soldiers at a formal reception at Prague Castle a monumental palace complex that overlooks the city from a hilltop which was closed to tourists for the occasion is also the official residence and workplace of the Czech president which included the national anthems of both countries was followed by talks between the two leaders The King was also presented with a framed photograph of his meeting with Vaclav Havel the country's first president after the fall of the communist regime Philippe travelled to the Czech Republic to take part in a ceremony commemorating the liberation of the city of Pilsen Tuesday marks 80 years since a Belgian battalion helped drive Nazi troops out of the city It is the first time that a Belgian and a Czech head of state will attend the commemoration of this event together The city was liberated on 6 May 1945 by the American army with the assistance of the 17th Belgian Fusilier Battalion This battalion consisted of volunteers from the province of Liège all former members of the Secret Army resistance group Pilsen is one of the few Czech cities not liberated by Soviet troops at the end of the Second World War following the Velvet Revolution that ended communist rule in the former Czechoslovakia that the liberation began to be celebrated but family members of the 17th Battalion veterans are expected to attend the commemoration in Pilsen on Tuesday King Philippe's visit partly coincides with a two-day visit by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to the Czech Republic the Ukrainian flag at Prague Castle had to be replaced by the Belgian flag shortly before 14.00 on Monday King Philippe and Czech president Petr Pavel in Prague Copy linkGet updates in your mailboxYour email addressSubscribeBy clicking "Subscribe" I confirm I have read and agree to the Privacy Policy rapid and high-quality information 24 hours a day from Belgium and abroad to all Belgian media not to mention entertainment and lifestyle our journalists and press photographers produce hundreds of photos and news stories Since the end of March 2022 English has been added as a language businesses and various organisations that need reliable information Belga News Agency also offers a comprehensive range of corporate services to meet all their communication needs www.belganewsagency.eu the document was signed by Oleksiy Chernyshov Vice Prime Minister and Minister of National Unity of Ukraine First Vice Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior of the Czech Republic The signing ceremony took place in the presence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala Zelensky is currently on a two-day visit to Prague While citing and using any materials on the Internet links to the website ukrinform.net not lower than the first paragraph are mandatory citing the translated materials of foreign media outlets is possible only if there is a link to the website ukrinform.net and the website of a foreign media outlet Materials marked as "Advertisement" or with a disclaimer reading "The material has been posted in accordance with Part 3 of Article 9 of the Law of Ukraine "On Advertising" No 1996 and the Law of Ukraine "On the Media" No 2023 and on the basis of an agreement/invoice Online media entity; Media identifier - R40-01421 Open Cup SpotlightFollowing an ACL injury that sidelined him for nearly a year the Open Cup’s Modern Era assist leader reflects on his recovery another matchup against a familiar foe and his future after soccer.By: William HodgesMay 2 2025{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"Article","name":"Sacramento Republic Legend RoRo Lopez Discusses Recovery from Injury and Return to the U.S Open Cup Spotlight","author":"William Hodges","datePublished":"2025-05-02T23:10:07.009","image":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/oyf3dba6/production/90eccd7d745633cf16dc31cc36fba1211081795d-1280x884.jpg?fit=max&auto=format"}Facing open heart surgery to repair an aortic valve 10 year-old Roman Lopez had one wish – for his father Sacramento Republic FC captain Rodrigo ‘RoRo’ Lopez to play against the San Jose Earthquakes in the Round of 16 of the 2024 U.S “I know your team needs you.”And in true heroic fashion Lopez laced up his boots knowing he wasn’t 100 percent he was subbed off with a left knee injury that would eventually be confirmed as an ACL tear his season – and maybe his career – was over feeling guilty about urging his dad to play and Lopez from the weight of everything he was facing – his son’s complicated surgery a season-ending injury and what was undoubtedly going to be a long road to recovery for both of them the guy who’s known for always smiling and being a light for his friends family and teammates found himself in a dark dark place.Lopez admitted he contemplated retirement “I don’t think a lot of people truly realize what I went through and how hard these last eleven months have been,” admitted Lopez please just promise me you’re going to play again.’ That meant a lot to me I had to do everything I could to get back and now seeing him in the stands watching me it’s clear the last year has been a major challenge he remains grateful for his doctor and the Republic performance and training staff who helped him get back on the pitch While he acknowledges he’s not all the way there yet physically he’s committed to continuing to work hard every day “It’s definitely not an easy injury mentally or physically,” he said “Sometimes the mental side is the hardest part and right now I’m just trying to get back where I want to be.” Lopez made a huge stride in his recovery in the Third Round of the 2025 U.S. Open Cup versus amateur legends, El Farolito where he made his first start in roughly a year It took all of 29 minutes for him to make his presence known when teammate Sebastian Herrera headed in a long looping cross from RoRo to propel the Republic to a hard fought 1-0 victory Lopez now has 12 all-time assists in the Open Cup which is the most in the tournament's Modern Era (beginning in 1995) “El Farolito is a team that has a rich history in the Open Cup and we knew it wasn’t going to be easy,” he added “We knew they were going to be physical and try to mentally get us off our game [Herrera] and I actually spoke about it before the game because in prior games there had been instances where he was like you can actually hear him yelling [which Lopez shared with a laugh] so good in the air and just makes clever runs.” Lopez got another start and played 65 minutes last weekend against USL League 1 side AV Alta FC in the inaugural USL Jägermeister Cup It was another opportunity to log valuable minutes It was just three years ago that the Republic made a historic run to the 2022 Open Cup Final losing to Orlando City 3-0 in a match that was much closer than the final scoreline suggests In the Sacramento side’s run up to the Final they defeated three MLS teams – San Jose Earthquakes LA Galaxy and Sporting Kansas City (that ended in a thrilling 5-4 Semifinal shootout) Behind a tournament-best four goals, four assists and the co-Golden Boot award, Lopez was absolutely sensational and was a key reason why the Republic made it to the Final. He was voted as theTheCup.US Overall Player of the Tournament and Lower Division Player of the Tournament becoming only the second player ever to sweep both awards given out by the independent (and outstanding) Open Cup news and history outlet (Note: Goalkeeper Chris Eylander earned the same double honor in 2008 with the Seattle Sounders Now healthy and getting back to full strength Lopez is hopeful for more special Open Cup moments for his team “Sacramento and I like to have a good time,” laughed Lopez “Having lived through the 2022 year with our team and making it to the Final that was one of my favorite moments in my career – one of my favorite memories playing and some of the best moments of my life so I always just want to live those moments and recreate them “I want my teammates to witness it and live it too “But some people don't get to play in these big games.” Lopez acknowledges that he’s approaching the end of his playing career Big games like the upcoming match against the Earthquakes in the Round of 32 are reminders to make the most of the moments when they come “I remember not being able to play against Seattle and being in the stands and it was terrible for me to watch,” continued Lopez thinking back to the 2024 Open Cup Quarterfinal where the Republic lost out 2-1 on national television and having some of my teammates being seen and hopefully bettering their careers – it’s exciting Republic FC travel to San Jose to face the Earthquakes on May 7 (LIVE on Paramount+ and the CBS Sports Golazo Network) in what will be the sixth meeting between the two in Open Cup play The Republic have bounced the Earthquakes out of the tournament in the past two editions including last year in dramatic fashion in extra time (4-3) “We’re both going to have busy weeks leading up to the match but it’s going to be an interesting game because this time we’re going to San Jose and I feel they have a more rounded team,” continued Lopez speaking about a Quakes side coached now by former USMNT legend Bruce Arena “It’s also a rivalry and I think they are going to remember the last few years and how the results have gone “It’s now our turn to be the underdogs and go out there and perform,” Lopez said While he remains focused on getting to 100 percent fitness and playing in the Open Cup and the USL season he knows that whenever retirement does come he’ll continue to be connected to a game that he has given so much to and that has equally given back to him From Chivas USA to Mexico’s top leagues (Ascenso MX and Liga MX) – and then becoming the Republic’s first signee ever and forever Club legend – Lopez knows he’s been fortunate to play the game at a high-level for 22 years I have my own youth academy now,” Lopez shared “I did take my B license and want to continue my coaching career after playing whether that’s professional or at the academy I have friends that I have been fortunate to play with who are now GMs somewhere connected on the field and with players would be ideal for me.” Republic FC and Lopez have another opportunity to create more magical moments “These types of games are what you play for,” he concluded Hodges is a contributor at TheCup.US/@usopencup. He was formerly the editor of Indomitable City Soccer and you can follow him on Twitter@william_hodges Kinshasa – Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with support from World Health Organization (WHO) are intensifying emergency response efforts to control an outbreak of anthrax in which 16 suspected and one confirmed human cases have been reported in North Kivu Province in the east of the country.   The outbreak has affected four health zones around Lake Edward on the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda It is linked to the one that is ongoing on the Ugandan side of the lake where seven suspected human cases have been reported in the western Kabale district WHO is carrying out an assessment to determine the risk of the infection spreading further and is supporting the health authorities to strengthen the response including disease surveillance and investigation to identify the source of the outbreak and chains of transmission as well as provision of medical supplies and treatment WHO is also facilitating cross-border coordination between Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda to enhance outbreak response.  “Our efforts are focused on swiftly breaking the animal-to-human transmission communities and partners to strengthen response measures to protect public health now and in the future,” said Dr Boureima Sambo WHO Representative in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.   WHO and partners are working under One Health recognizing the interconnectedness of the three aspects and the need for comprehensive measures.  Anthrax is a bacterial infection that mainly affects animals People can get the disease directly or indirectly from infected animals or through exposure to infected or contaminated animal products Anthrax in humans is not generally regarded as contagious although rare records of person-to-person transmission exist.   which happens when spores come into contact with broken skin causing an itchy bump that turns into a black sore Gastrointestinal anthrax occurs from eating infected meat causing food poisoning-like symptoms that can worsen to severe stomach pain The rarest and most serious form is inhalation anthrax which results from breathing in the spores starting with cold-like symptoms before rapidly leading to severe breathing problems and shock All human cases of anthrax require hospitalization.   which need to be prescribed by a medical professional human vaccines are in limited supply and used primarily for protection of selected individuals with possible occupational exposure to anthrax.  Initial alerts about the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo were raised on 22 March 2025 in Virunga National Park where dozens of buffaloes and hippopotamuses have died.   Efforts are underway to vaccinate livestock in communities living near rivers as veterinary teams safely dispose of animal carcases to avoid potential infection while public awareness campaigns are being stepped to enhance preventive measures.  Preventing the disease in animals protects human health Response through One Health is vital in addressing the full spectrum of disease control – from prevention to detection thus contributing to global health security.  WHO Regional Office for AfricaActing Regional Communications ManagerEmail: ottob [at] who.int (ottob[at]who[dot]int) Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska announced this in a post on Facebook which focuses on advancing healthcare collaboration and aid for Ukraine Zelenska also acknowledged the efforts of the Czech Health Technology Institute and the European Commission for their continuous support She also praised the creation of such a unique initiative as the Ukraine Facility Zelenska noted that the Czech Republic was the first country to use this program leading the restoration of six hospitals in Ukrainian regions our countries have signed memoranda of medical partnership at the conference,” she stated introduced two years ago at the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen in Kyiv is an innovative approach to international healthcare collaboration Ukraine has already signed 62 memoranda with 22 countries and she expressed gratitude that the Czech Republic will become the 23rd partner in this initiative “This partnership saves hundreds of lives every day while also enriching the experience of all participants,” she stated noting that as Ukraine benefits from international advancements with 78% attributing it directly to the war The First Lady emphasized that each day of the war inflicts immense pain and trauma on Ukraine People with chronic conditions who had health issues before Russia’s invasion also require urgent attention Zelenska emphasized that the workload on Ukrainian doctors and hospitals is ten times higher than in neighboring countries—and possibly the highest in the world she expressed gratitude to the Czech Republic the Czech Republic for standing with Ukraine on the path to saving people Ukraine and the Czech Republic signed a Joint Declaration to establish a Ukrainian Unity Center in the Czech Republic The agreement was formalized between Ukraine’s Ministry of National Unity and the Czech Republic’s Ministry of the Interior Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala stated this at a joint briefing in Prague with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “We want a just peace that will not be a success of Russia's aggressive policy… Ukraine can count on us We will do everything to ensure that the Ukrainian people’s just struggle succeeds and that Ukraine wins,” Fiala stated He emphasized that a strong and well-equipped army is the greatest guarantee for Ukraine As an active member of the Coalition of the Willing the Czech Republic is ready to expand its military cooperation with Ukraine Fiala noted that agreements have been reached within the coalition framework to train Ukrainian pilots on Czech soil he said that Ukrainian personnel are already undergoing training on Czech training simulators He added that his country is prepared to expand its involvement in training soldiers He also noted the Czech Republic’s shell initiative which has already supplied Ukraine with half a million units of large-caliber ammunition since the beginning of the year Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion the Czech Republic has provided Ukraine with over 2,000 pieces of heavy equipment Fiala emphasized that the Czech people are well aware of what Ukrainians are going through He recalled that today marks the 80th anniversary of the Prague Uprising against Nazi occupation underscoring the importance of defending one’s homeland and emphasizing that appeasement of the aggressor is never the right course President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky is in the Czech Republic for an official visit on May 4-5 Sign up for our daily Newsletter and stay up to date with all the latest news You are receiving this pop-up because this is the first time you are visiting our site You are using software which is blocking our advertisements (adblocker) we are relying on revenues from our banners So please disable your adblocker and reload the page to continue using this site.Thanks The Central African Republic has great untapped potential in the fresh produce export industry Hariri describes the advantages of the agricultural industry in the Central African Republic: "We have a tropical climate The country is one of the few countries in the world not to be badly affected by climate change Agricultural development is very dynamic in the Central African Republic and we are recording a 10-15% increase in cultivated areas this year with a marked potential for early vegetables The grower took part last week in the 17th edition of the International Agricultural Exhibition in Morocco together with a delegation of exhibitors led by the Central African Embassy in Rabat "We are inspired and interested by the Moroccan experience in exporting fresh produce for two reasons: we invite Moroccan investors to come and support our actions and ambition and we are interested in Morocco as a market where many of our products have high potential We had encountered administrative difficulties in exporting to Morocco but the meeting with Moroccan officials here in Meknes has opened up serious leads for collaboration." The geographical position of the Central African Republic "We can export to Europe via Cameroon within a very good transit time which has no impact on the shelf life of the products our road shipments to Morocco take 15 days Logistics are smooth and don't hold us back." FreshPublishers © 2005-2025 HortiDaily.com Your browser is ancient! Upgrade to a different browser or install Google Chrome Frame to experience this site Press Contact: Daniel Moskowitz Phone: (770) 262-4971 Email: dmoskowitz@teamster.org (LAS VEGAS) – A group of 44 sanitation workers at the Republic Services Polymer Center in Las Vegas has voted to join Teamsters Local 631 These new Teamsters process plastic materials like water bottles and containers and convert them into recyclable materials “Republic workers nationwide are seeing that the only way to guarantee better treatment on the job is to join the Teamsters Union and secure a strong contract,” said Victor Mineros Director of the Teamsters Solid Waste and Recycling Division and Teamsters Western Region International Vice President more Republic Teamsters are demanding and securing industry-leading wages and benefits Now that these workers are part of our union we look forward to helping them do the same.” and equipment operators are seeking better pay and benefits and to secure a real say over their work conditions and each one of these workers should be proud of their bold decision to join our union,” said Tommy Blitsch “They sent a clear message that they will not rest until they have a strong contract that guarantees they are treated with respect.” Teamsters Local 631 represents workers in gaming, construction, logistics, transit, and other industries throughout Southern Nevada. For more information, go to teamsterslocal631.org The below is attributable to Spokesperson Tammy Bruce: Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader Both leaders reaffirmed the strength of the U.S.-Dominican partnership and ongoing collaboration on regional challenges including countering illegal immigration We use cookies to make our website work better and improve your experience The purchase of Town & Country Sanitation and Peterson Sanitation caps off decades of private ownership The transaction is part of Republic’s intention to spend at least $1 billion on M&A this year Republic Services confirmed it acquired a pair of longtime Wisconsin hauling companies The purchase includes Town & Country Sanitation and Peterson Sanitation The two related companies provide a range of residential commercial and roll-off collection services in portions of Southwest and South Central Wisconsin and Northeast Iowa The companies provide waste and recycling service to an estimated 100 cities Federal records from 2024 show that Town & Country operated 50 vehicles in Wisconsin Peterson operated a combined 26 vehicles in Wisconsin and Iowa Town and Country started out in 1990 with one truck It won its first big municipal contract in Boscobel in 1992 and went on to set up its headquarters in that city The company later built a transfer station in the village of Lone Rock in 2005 who was not available for comment on Thursday The deal adds to Republic’s existing hauling and post-collection assets in Wisconsin and the broader Midwest region Get the free daily newsletter read by industry experts noted a busy 2024 for acquisitions and infrastructure investments led to $1.2 billion in revenue employee training and tech investments for 2025 Extended producer responsibility and bottle bills will continue to influence recycling policy at the state level Other bills for batteries or mattresses could also make an appearance in 2025 The free newsletter covering the top industry headlines This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Operating under the Fresenius Medical Care (FME) brand NephroCare delivers comprehensive care to approximately 100 dialysis patients—from nephrological assessments to the preparation and administration of dialysis the clinic is one of the largest dialysis centers in the country the Sokolov dialysis center has been a pioneer in the treatment of chronic kidney disease in the Czech Republic it was the first dialysis center in the former Czechoslovakia to offer respite stays in the Ore Mountains for dialysis patients and their families the world’s leading provider of products and services for people with kidney disease “We provide comprehensive care for patients with advanced kidney failure This includes presenting various treatment options and determining the approach that best aligns with each patient’s health condition and lifestyle,” says Dr managing director of the dialysis center since 1985 “We also offer support to patients who choose home dialysis.” the Sokolov dialysis center has prioritized a comfortable environment for its patients and patients can receive support from a psychologist or social worker “State-of-the-art equipment is now an integral part of treating chronic kidney failure in Sokolov We continuously strive to enhance the care we provide to our patients,” says Dana Hrubá a patient at the Sokolov dialysis center for 33 years “I’ve been coming to the clinic since January 1992 I’ve witnessed remarkable improvements in both the quality and scope of treatment options available who have not only enabled me to live a normal life but have also allowed me to continue working and enjoy life to its fullest.” Fresenius Medical Care starts 2025 with strong organic revenue and income growth Fresenius Medical Care Celebrates 40 years of Dialysis Center in Sokolov Fresenius Medical Care places bonds with a volume of 1.1 billion euros Patient Care Technician Gives Dialysis Patient the Gift of Life Feature Films Database Southern Mediterranean films database Scriptwriters European Film Schools Production Companies Distributors International Sales Submit a Film Industry Reports Co-Production Podcast Online Screenwriting Training Course Guided Course for Feature Film Writing Script Analysis Analysis of the potential of your series Cineuropa's Training Catalogue Film Festival Photographs Newsletter Photogalleries EUFCN Location Award Euro Film Fest 27 Times Cinema GoCritic! Advertise on Cineuropa Logos and Banners FESTIVALS / AWARDS Czech Republic by Martin Kudláč 05/05/2025 - The festival will explore science fiction in animation pairing genre-defining films with an industry platform for cinema The VR competition includes seven projects which will be competing against Lithuanian immersive film Play Life by Žilvinas Naujokas based on the paintings by Lithuanian modern artist Algis Kriščiūnas Gwenael François’ interactive film Oto’s Planet and Vincent Rooijers’ and Simone Fougnier’s virtual audiovisual journey through time and space The Art of Change Anifilm’s engagement with gaming continues with its international game competition which spans experimental indie productions and ambitious narrative-driven titles Czech and Slovak productions such as the clicker strategy across different historical periods and an RPG set in a fictional district of medieval Upper Hungary will compete alongside global entries including Judero and Oddada The festival’s full programme is available here Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive more stories like this directly in your inbox 06/05/2025Festivals / Awards – Spain The 21st Play-Doc continues the dialogue between past and present 05/05/2025HOFF 2025 The Shadow and U Are the Universe win at Estonia’s Haapsalu Horror and Fantasy Film Festival 05/05/2025Crossing Europe 2025 – Awards The New Year That Never Came and The Flats crowned at Crossing Europe 30/04/2025Cannes 2025 16 works to be presented in the Immersive Selection at Cannes 30/04/2025Festivals / Awards – Romania The New Year That Never Came sweeps the Romanian Gopos 30/04/2025goEast 2025 – Awards Holy Electricity comes out on top at goEast Subscribe to our newsletter to receive the most important daily or weekly news on European cinema Festivals / Awards Spain Crossing Europe 2025 Review: Slackers Crossing Europe 2025 Review: Callas, Darling Cannes 2025 Marché du Film The Party’s Over! leads France TV distribution’s Cannes slate CPH:DOX 2025 CPH:DOX Industry Europa Distribution explores the release of documentaries at CPH:DOX Cannes 2025 Marché du Film AFCI runs its second annual Global Film Commission Network Summit at Marché du Film Festivals / Awards Czech Republic Czech Republic’s Anifilm goes sci-fi Distribution / Releases / Exhibitors Europe European Arthouse Cinema Day set to return on 23 November Cannes 2025 Marché du Film Indie Sales presents a three-star line-up at Cannes HOFF 2025 Crossing Europe 2025 Awards Cannes 2025 Marché du Film Be For Films to sell Love Me Tender in Cannes Distribution, Exhibition and Streaming – 29/04/2025Anne Pouliquen • Founder and Director, Futura CinemaWe met with the director of the incubator programme dedicated to innovation in cinema theatres and cultural venues, which is now opening up on a European scale Market TrendsFOCUSA busy spring festival season awaits the European film industry. Cineuropa will continue to keep its readers up to date with the latest news and market insights, covering the buzziest events, including Cannes, Kraków, Karlovy Vary, Tribeca, Hot Docs, Annecy, Brussels, Munich and many others Distribution, Exhibition and Streaming – 06/05/2025Europa Distribution explores the release of documentaries at CPH:DOXThe network has held a case study workshop as part of its brand-new partnership with the Copenhagen-based festival Distribution, Exhibition and Streaming – 02/05/2025Slovak crime-thriller Černák becomes the highest-grossing film in domestic cinemasThe second film in the saga about a local mafia boss, directed by Jakub Króner, outgrossed its first part, which dominated Slovak cinemas last year Jaśmina Wójcik • Director of King Matt the First The Polish director discusses her approach to taking on a 1920s children’s literary classic in an unexpected way Želimir Žilnik • Director of Eighty Plus The Serbian director discusses his deep suspicion of ideologies in relation to his irresistibly charming latest feature, which follows a man whose life spans three political systems Paulina Jaroszewicz • Distribution and marketing manager, New Horizons Association Cineuropa sat down with the Polish distributor to discuss her company’s strategy as well as the connection between its distribution line-up and BNP Paribas New Horizons Festival’s programme Lorcan Finnegan • Director of The Surfer The Irish filmmaker discusses his mystery-thriller, how he created the character with Nicolas Cage and his approach to the use of colours in the film Privacy Policy The images used on this website have been provided by journalists and are believed to be free of rights if you are the owner of an image used on this website and believe that its use infringes on your copyright We will remove the image in question as soon as possible We have made reasonable efforts to ensure that all images used on this website are used legally and in accordance with copyright laws About us | Contact us | Logos and Banners Mission | Partners | Team | Donations | Terms and conditions 2025 (SPS) – The President of the Republic sent a congratulatory message to the Australian Prime Minister on the occasion of his re-election for a second term extended his warmest congratulations to Mr Anthony Albanese on his victory in the Australian prime ministerial elections He emphasized that this significant achievement reflects the trust placed in his leadership by the Australian people President Ghali also expressed his hope to continue strengthening the bonds of friendship and cooperation between the Sahrawi and Australian peoples in a manner that serves the interests of peace he wished the re-elected Australian Prime Minister success in his duties and responsibilities expressing confidence that Australia will continue progressing toward a more advanced and prosperous future According to Ukrinform, Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska said this in a post on Facebook Zelenska noted that the Czech Republic has significantly reformed its mental health system over the past decade by introducing community-based care The country plans to establish at least 100 mental health centers in local communities over the next five years She noted that these efforts align closely with Ukraine’s mental health initiative “How are you?”—a program designed to provide support in schools bringing assistance directly to where people live "That is why the Czech experience is valuable to us great emphasis is placed on psychological support for children and adolescents with specialized centers and dedicated services for teachers and parents," Zelenska stated as its new generation is growing up amid the experience of war The state aims to transform societal attitudes toward mental health ensuring that seeking help is seen as a sign of strength rather than stigma These efforts will help Ukrainians—both adults and children—survive the Russian invasion and rebuild their lives we take another step forward by signing a Memorandum between the Coordination Center for Mental Health under the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the National Institute of Mental Health of the Czech Republic alongside Health Minister Viktor Liashko and Head of the Coordination Center for Mental Health Oksana Zbitneva," Zelenska stated She emphasized that since the start of Russia's invasion Ukraine has been actively studying and adopting the best international practices to enhance the well-being of its citizens the country is also able to share its own difficult experiences the more I realize that mental health is becoming a universal language of international dialogue and societies—not only helping to mitigate the effects of crises but also fostering stronger communities," the First Lady stated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska are on an official visit to the Czech Republic The Czech Republic is providing economic assistance to Ukraine which is also in the interest of Czech businesses This was stated by Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala at a joint briefing with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on May 5 in Prague “Cooperation with Ukraine is a great opportunity for Czech business and the Czech economy,” the head of government said noting that Czech exports to Ukraine reached 45 billion CZK last year compared to about 25 billion CZK in 2022—a 75% increase Fiala cited examples of aid projects for Ukraine including the delivery of generators worth 80 million CZK and the construction of a wind power plant in western Ukraine with a Czech investment of 61 million CZK there is also potential to strengthen cooperation in the field of nuclear energy “Czech companies are ready to play an active role in the reconstruction and cooperation may also develop in other sectors,” Fiala assured President Zelenskyy is on a two-day visit to the Czech Republic he met with his Czech counterpart Petr Pavel he held meetings with the leadership of the lower house of parliament and with MPs According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) the Dominican Republic will be the second fastest-growing economy in the world in 2026 The IMF’s Economic Outlook for the Western Hemisphere says the Dominican Republic’s GDP will grow by 4.8% in 2026 This rate is higher than most countries in the Americas except some Caribbean nations that don’t rely on tourism the IMF predicts the Dominican Republic’s economy will grow by 4.0% the Dominican Republic will outpace Argentina consumer spending is the main reason for economic growth Growth across the region is expected to slow down from 2.4% in 2024 to 2.0% in 2025 Long-term problems continue to limit growth The report urges countries to improve their budgets (called “fiscal consolidation”) because there’s less room to cut interest rates and the global economy is facing new difficulties Panama’s economy is expected to grow by 4% The Central American region is expected to grow 3.8% in 2025 and 3.9% in 2026 Rodrigo Valdés from the IMF said US tariffs are making things harder for Caribbean countries that depend on tourism but so far there have been no hotel booking cancellations Valdés said the region’s average growth will be around 2%—a drop from the previous forecasts of 2.4% and 2.5% US tariffs are hurting countries like Mexico and Brazil There’s also concern that demand could fall and that fewer migrants and remittances could hurt regional economies © 2022 St Kitts Nevis Observer / Nevis Printing Ltd Newspaper Theme by tagDiv | All rights reserved The property will remain open during the transition with July 1 marking the resort’s official change to Caesars Republic Harveys Lake Tahoe will be branded as Caesars Republic Lake Tahoe The 1.6 million-square-foot property will remain open during the current $160 million renovation Caesars says guests will see changes to the casino floor hotel lobby and other areas with new carpeting The resort is also remodeling all of the rooms in the Remus Tower and will introduce butler service for select suites in both of the hotel towers Caesars Republic Lake Tahoe’s other hotel tower is also being refreshed after a full remodel in 2020 Caesars Republic Lake Tahoe is the second Caesars Republic to open in two years following the opening of Caesars Republic Scottsdale The renovations at Caesars Republic Lake Tahoe will continue throughout 2025 with the entire project slated to be complete in mid-2026 For more information or to book a room at Caesars Republic Lake Tahoe click here.  (Caesars Entertainment contributed to this report.) Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Home Internships & JobsTake ActionDonateMore SearchSpotlight Report: ARSF in the Democratic Republic of the CongoGenocide Watch2 days ago5 min readARSF's Efforts to Stop Genocide and War Crimes Against Congolese Women six times more than the 1994 genocide in Rwanda Among the most effective NGOs working to support Congolese women is Actions Pour la Réinsertion Sociale de la Femme (ARSF) a women-led grassroots organization dedicated to empowering women in DR Congo’s conflicts ARSF is one of the newest members of the Alliance Against Genocide This report is based on direct correspondence and interviews by Genocide Watch’s Democratic Republic of Congo Team It highlights the vital work of ARSF to support and protect vulnerable women and girls amidst rampant rape and war The civil war has caused economic devastation ARSF says the large UN Peacekeeping Mission (MONUSCO) has failed to stop the vicious militias Civilians—particularly women— remain trapped in a hellscape of displacement Crimes against humanity and genocide against Congolese Tutsis are motivated by the same anti-Tutsi ideology and ethnic hatred that drove the Genocide of the Tutsis in Rwanda Congolese Tutsi cattle herders like the Banyamulenge and Hema are falsely portrayed as “invaders” who came from Rwanda or Ethiopia and took over the land of “indigenous” Congolese farmers in North and South Kivu The civil war is driven by greed for control of mines that produce sixty percent of the world’s coltan a key mineral for production of cellphones M23 has taken control of many of the coltan mines Most of the coltan is exported through Rwanda ARSF’s work highlights the gendered vulnerability faced by women and girls in this civil war Women are excluded from most paying jobs to support their families Women are excluded from participation in political decisions concerning security and reconstruction Psychological trauma inflicted on women by war and rape is severe Survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) lack medical and psychosocial support Male political authorities are often indifferent to the suffering of women ARSF stresses the need for comprehensive efforts to address the needs of women and girls. ARSF has developed several programs to support and empower women in the DRC ARSF provides livelihood programs that offer training in skills such as tailoring and embroidery to help women achieve financial independence ARSF also works with investors to fund microcredit projects giving displaced women access to small loans so they can start businesses and regain economic stability ARSF has also launched civic and electoral education initiatives that encourage women to participate in political processes particularly in rural areas where their voices are usually silenced or ignored To strengthen women’s awareness and skills in advocacy ARSF has established literacy and advocacy centers where women can gain education and better understand their rights Through educational programs on conflict resolution and leadership the organization aims to ensure that women are empowered to play an active role in shaping post-conflict recovery Despite their frequent exclusion from formal leadership roles women often play a crucial role in reconciliation after conflicts Women’s involvement brings perspectives that prioritize the needs of the most vulnerable members of society – women ARSF’s initiatives do not just respond to immediate humanitarian needs They seek to challenge systemic inequalities that perpetuate the patriarchal culture of violence against women ARSF issued an urgent plea for international financial support ARSF emphasized that the war in the DRC is at a critical turning point ARSF stressed the need for greatly increased humanitarian assistance particularly for displaced women and children Stronger protections against gender- based violence are needed including law enforcement to arrest perpetrators Survivors need better financial support to rebuild their lives ARSF highlights the importance of sustained funding for grassroots organizations Local NGOs like ARSF are often the most effective at reaching impacted communities But they usually struggle to raise money to support their programs ARSF calls for rethinking international intervention arguing that peacebuilding efforts should be led by local NGOs not imposed by foreign organizations that may not adequately understand the needs of local communities These are the strongest indicators that genocide and crimes against humanity are imminent or already underway and NGOs must recognize the gravity of the humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo We must take decisive steps to protect civilians and alleviate the human suffering in the DRC ARSF’s work demonstrates that even in the darkest moments of conflict grassroots organizations play a crucial role in resisting oppression ARSF is one of the most effective Congolese organizations engaged in community-based action But ARSF’s vital work gets little attention ARSF’s call to action is clear: women in the DRC must not be left to face this crisis alone and closing our ears to the cries of our sisters we must raise our voices to the men in power in our own societies and community leaders who are best positioned to lead the Democratic Republic of Congo toward a just and sustainable peace but two Olympic Games and several major medals later there is no role Cha Junhwan would rather play more What he didn’t expect was that it would land him the role of a lifetime Dubbed the “figure skating prince” in his native Republic of Korea the 23-year-old has played leading parts in the biggest competitions around the world including two Winter Olympic Games editions But while the ice rink has been his main stage in recent years Cha still keeps his passion for the arts burning strong with a variety of fashion shoots and appearances in television shows “I'm the same person on the stage and off the stage,” the skater told us “On the stage I think I got more energy from the audience and I'm really more enjoying skating Start 2026 in Italy! The Olympic Winter Games are just a TICKET away! 🏂❄️🎿 Sign-up to get a reminder of when the next tickets go live and all the latest news of your favourite national Olympic teams and athletes trying to qualify! 🎫 acting: Cha Junhwan glides between different worldsFormer child actor Cha Junhwan started skating just in case he ever got a role where the skill would be useful but he loved the sport so much he became an athlete instead Now aiming to make his third Olympic appearance Cha – known as the Republic of Korea’s “figure skating prince” – still keeps his passion for acting burning with regular TV show appearances and fashion photoshoots Before he stepped out onto the biggest ice rinks in the world Cha was already familiar with stage and film set arrangements thanks to his roles in various commercials it was because he wanted to advance his acting career that he began skating in the first place Skating was one of the skills that Cha learned to become a more versatile actor, along with swimming and playing the piano and violin Cha discovered that he wanted to continue learning skating beyond what was necessary to act out a role “The last thing that I learned was the figure skating the freeness and that was so impactful so after that I kept learning skating and then I decided to be an athlete,” Cha said “Figure skating is the first thing that I decided to do myself.” finishing 15th in the men’s singles and ninth in the team event He was 16 years old at the time and competing in his first senior season It has been quite a journey for Cha since the days of acting on film sets as a child. The lights have gotten brighter since then, the TV cameras bigger, but what has stayed the same is the joy he feels when performing for spectators – even if he is “always nervous” to perform in public. “All the competitions get me nervous, but with the fans supporting from the audience, when they're cheering for us, all the skaters, we feel great energy from them, so we can skate to give them our energy,” he said. “I think a lot of fans were supporting me and cheering for me during this season. That's why I could do my best all the time at competitions.” Picture by Maddie Meyer/Getty ImagesThe Ina Bauer is one of Cha Junhwan's signature movements and a fan favourite. While Cha can always count on a warm reception from figure skating fans, what gets them cheering even louder is when he performs his signature Ina Bauer, a choreographic element during which a skater glides, leaning backwards, on parallel blades. “Definitely I can hear more noise,” Cha said of the audience response when he performs the element, bending into a perfect layback position. “When I make it, at that moment, I'm really focusing on my story and then trying to match it with the music, but after that, I can hear the crowd and that's the reward.” Telling a story is a priority for Cha when skating. Whether it is through the Ina Bauer or his other signature elements, like the cantilever and step sequences, the skater is keen to put a message behind each movement that he does on the ice. “I love step sequences because it's another thing that I can really make creative and spell the story to the audience and the judges,” he said. “Skating is the only one sport where we can create our own story. That's a very special moment,” - Cha Junhwan to Olympics.com The ice rink is not the only stage for Cha’s storytelling. The young athlete may have made figure skating his main focus, but he has also not shut the door to his childhood acting career. Cha regularly appears on television shows, such as the King of Mask Singer talent competition, films commercials for clothing and cosmetics, and graces the covers of top fashion magazines including GQ Korea, Vogue Korea, and Elle Korea. It is a time-intensive commitment on top of his already gruelling training schedule, but Cha has found that the extra side projects actually help him to relax. “It's a totally different side of ice skating,” Cha said. “Magazine shoots or TV shows are a really different experience. And sometimes I really enjoy it and I feel like it's refreshing [for] myself because it's outside of skating and it's totally different, so those kinds of things are also really fun.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by JunHwan Cha | 차준환 (@jun_july_august) Some fashion shoots that Cha does can inadvertently find their way back into his skating “She just looks at the photo shot and is like and next time we should go with something similar like some different characters like that',” Cha said “Fashion and skating are a very creative moment Picture by Jurij Kodrun - International Skating Union via Getty ImagesCha Junhwan's dramatic free skate outfit earned him a Best Costume nomination at the 2025 ISU Figure Skating Awards Bae has been designing Cha’s costumes since he was in school including his memorable Beijing 2022 attire The black costume for his “Fate of the Clockmaker” short program had elements that reflect time such as a shape of a clock and rippling pieces of fabric His free skate outfit had gold details that evoke the court scenes from Giacomo Puccini’s opera Turandot Cha’s best costume nomination came for his free skate set to Milva’s “Balada para un Loco”. A tango-waltz with raw female vocals, this song was a step away from the skater's previous music choices, and intentionally so. Like a good actor taking on roles across different film genres, Cha is eager to showcase a wide range of music styles in his programs and through that, his versatility. In the 2024-25 season, he offset Milva's Argentinian tango with an Imagine Dragons pop rock track, "Natural", for his short. “It's very positive lyrics that Imagine Dragons are singing. They always give me a lot of positive energy and it's very magical for me,” Cha said. “And 'Balada para un Loco' by Milva, her voice and the lyrics are magical. When I'm skating to that music, I can really get into the music and skate, so it's really enjoyable.” In the previous season, Cha took the "Masquerade" orchestral suite for his short program and coupled it with The Batman soundtrack for his free. Music from the James Bond, Black Panther, and Romeo + Juliet movies have also made it into Cha’s programs, along with Broadway tunes, piano concertos, Swedish electronic music, and Shawn Mendes pop hits. As with his costume choices, Cha takes a leading role in selecting the music he will skate to. There is no preferred genre – usually the deciding factor is whether Cha likes the track enough to shuffle it into his personal playlist. “For the last few years, I kind of brought in all the artists that I want to skate to,” the skater said with a laugh. “I like all kinds of music and every season I really want to show a totally different way than the previous season. That is one of my motivations and challenging myself to express and then share my emotions and my experience with fans … It's really the most fun part for me also.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by JunHwan Cha | 차준환 (@jun_july_august) “The Olympic experience always gave me a lot of things The first Olympics were about learning why I started skating and I got more passionate about the skating so that was a turning point for me,” Cha said “And Beijing … it really gave me a lot of motivation to keep going and then make a new goal and now I'm looking forward to Milan and I'm really excited and if I say there's a goal I really want to take a moment at the Olympics and really enjoy it again because Milan Olympics is one of my dreams.” The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company trimmed its stake in Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG - Free Report) by 1.3% in the 4th quarter according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) The firm owned 124,455 shares of the business services provider's stock after selling 1,675 shares during the period The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company's holdings in Republic Services were worth $25,038,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock Arcadia Investment Management Corp MI raised its position in Republic Services by 200.0% during the 4th quarter Arcadia Investment Management Corp MI now owns 132 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 88 shares in the last quarter R Squared Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Republic Services in the fourth quarter valued at about $32,000 New Age Alpha Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Republic Services by 70.2% during the 4th quarter New Age Alpha Advisors LLC now owns 177 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares in the last quarter Generali Asset Management SPA SGR purchased a new position in Republic Services during the 4th quarter valued at about $45,000 Bank of Jackson Hole Trust purchased a new stake in shares of Republic Services in the 4th quarter worth approximately $48,000 57.73% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors RSG traded up $0.22 during midday trading on Monday 1,071,303 shares of the company traded hands compared to its average volume of 1,100,491 The company has a market capitalization of $78.36 billion The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $239.00 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $221.52 a quick ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04 has a 52-week low of $180.92 and a 52-week high of $252.40 Republic Services (NYSE:RSG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday The business services provider reported $1.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter topping the consensus estimate of $1.53 by $0.05 Republic Services had a return on equity of 18.28% and a net margin of 12.74% The company had revenue of $4.01 billion for the quarter compared to analysts' expectations of $4.08 billion During the same period in the previous year Republic Services's revenue was up 3.8% compared to the same quarter last year equities analysts forecast that Republic Services will post 6.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend This represents a $2.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.93% Republic Services's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 34.99% A number of research firms have weighed in on RSG William Blair restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Republic Services in a report on Friday Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $266.00 price objective on shares of Republic Services in a research report on Friday Truist Financial boosted their target price on shares of Republic Services from $250.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Republic Services from $265.00 to $278.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on shares of Republic Services from $235.00 to $244.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating thirteen have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $249.00 Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Republic Services MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on.. While Republic Services currently has a Moderate Buy rating among analysts top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys View The Five Stocks Here Explore Elon Musk’s boldest ventures yet—from AI and autonomy to space colonization—and find out how investors can ride the next wave of innovation Sign up for MarketBeat All Access to gain access to MarketBeat's full suite of research tools The Trebinje 3 photovoltaic plant would have an installed capacity of 53.63 MW and an estimated annual production of 85.5 GWh Photo: Ministry of Energy and Mining of the Republic of Srpska 0 construction is expected to be completed within the next four years The concession has been granted for 50 years and the total investment value is BAM 84.2 million (EUR 43.1 million) state-owned Elektroprivreda Republike Srpske (ERS) delivered a one-off payment to the budget of the Republic of Srpska of BAM 842,049 (EUR 430,992) Almost the entire amount of the concession fee will be allocated to the budget of the City of Trebinje the concessionaire will be obligated to pay a fee of BAM 0.0055 (EUR 0.0028) per kWh of generated electricity to the budget of the Republic of Srpska A 95% share is allocated for the budget of the city ERS already has two concessions for solar power projects It is the third concession that the company received for solar power plants from the government. The first, for Trebinje 1, with a capacity of 73 MW, was awarded in 2020..It was followed by Trebinje 2, for 53 MW, awarded in 2022 Neither of the two PV plants has been constructed yet In March 2022, ERS announced Lugos Renewables was acquiring 70% ownership of the Trebinje 1 project with ERS retaining control of the remaining 30% In February of this year, the Government of the Republic of Srpska approved concessions for two solar power projects Be the first one to comment on this article 05 May 2025 - The delegations from the two countries met on the sidelines of the 10th summit meeting of the Three Seas Initiative 05 May 2025 - The Trebinje 3 photovoltaic plant would have an installed capacity of 53.63 MW and an estimated annual production of 85.5 GWh 05 May 2025 - VDE Renewables found that SolarEdge’s advanced safety capabilities minimize photovoltaic system risks and effectively prevent fire hazards 02 May 2025 - The project is located in Constanța county recognized for its superior yields in green energy production © CENTER FOR PROMOTION OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 2008-2020 website developed by ogitive Two second-half goals in the space of nine minutes gave the Young Leopards their first win of the campaign It was CAR who started the game on a bright note as Raphaël Nzabakomada gave them the lead after some shambolic defending from DR Congo in the 10th minute DR Congo mounted pressure on their opponents after falling behind Tonny Talasi was twice denied by CAR goalkeeper Boarnages Malimoto Nzabakomada turned from hero to zero before the interval after bringing down Faveurdi Bongeli but Noah Makanza equalized with the rebound Makanza completed his brace after the break with another rebound goal to give DR Congo the lead Samuel Ntanda headed home to make it three DR Congo tops the group with four points from two matches DR Congo concludes the group stage with a challenging fixture against defending champions Senegal on Thursday Central African Republic will likely need a victory to advance to the quarterfinals when they clash with Ghana The group winner and runner-up qualifies for the quarterfinals The two best third place teams from the three groups qualify for the quarterfinals More than 130 women and children who fled Haiti to seek healthcare rounded up in hospitals and sent back Pregnant women have been crossing the border in increasing numbers over the past few years, looking for a safer place to give birth after the almost complete collapse of Haiti’s healthcare system The measure is one of a series announced by President Luis Abinader to reduce the number of undocumented migrants in the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti “We’re shocked by the government determination to fuel policies which are openly cruel, racist and misogynist,” said Guillermo Rodríguez, rights campaigner for the Americas at Amnesty International “Authorities allege that deportations are for the sake of the Dominican Republic but no prosperity or good can be achieved if it is based on cruelty and human suffering.” “[The government] is forcing people to choose between deportation or risking pregnancy complications which could eventually lead to maternal mortality In a statement Dominican authorities said women and children were seen by medical staff and discharged from hospitals after it was confirmed there were no health risks They were then deported in comfortable buses in accordance with “international and national legal provisions” a UN special rapporteur on violence against women said the treatment of Haitians by the Dominican Republic was an “area of concern” Returning people to Haiti where their lives would be in danger was not safe “Unfortunately the treatment of Haitians … is not in line with the Dominican Republic’s international and regional obligations,” she said The Dominican Republic has been deporting pregnant women, raiding homes and stopping people in the street for the past four years. In October, the government announced a target of deporting 10,000 Haitian migrants a week. Free newsletterGet a different world view with a roundup of the best news, features and pictures, curated by our global development team The kidnap and murder of workers has put about two-thirds of medical facilities out of use A Haitian woman on an immigration bus speaks with a relative in front of the Our Lady of Altagracia maternity hospital in Santo Domingo Photograph: Orlando Barría/EPARoudy Joseph a spokesperson for the community group Haitians in the Dominican Republic said the crackdown “put the health and lives of people “This is the consolidation of an apartheid regime that should be criticised or denounced by the international community,” he said the director of Movimiento de Mujeres Dominico-Haitianas (Dominican-Haitian Women’s Movement) said deporting vulnerable women and children back to Haiti was “inhumane” She said there was an atmosphere of fear among Haitians in the Dominican Republic where women were reluctant to attend health checkups and endanger their lives as a result Senator John Fetterman isn’t in good shape—and could be a danger to himself and those around him New York magazine reports that Fetterman who suffered a stroke in 2022 one month before being elected to the Senate is unrecognizable to his past and present staff prone to “conspiratorial thinking” and “megalomania.” His former chief of staff wrote his concerns in a May 2024 letter to Dr the neuropsychiatrist who oversaw Fetterman’s treatment at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington “We do not know if he is taking his meds and his behavior frequently suggests he is not,” Jentleson wrote adding that Fetterman was avoiding the recommended regular checkups with his doctors He also wrote that the senator was driving his car recklessly and reading entire news articles behind the wheel driving home from the airport after an early morning flight well over the 70-mph speed limit on I-70 His wife in the back seat suffered a pulmonary contusion and spinal fractures and Fetterman told one of his staffers that he had fallen asleep while driving In an incident earlier this year, Fetterman was filmed on a flight to Pittsburgh arguing with the pilot about wearing his seat belt correctly “You’re going to have to follow our instructions or be asked to get off the airplane.” one of his staffers reported hearing from a journalist that Fetterman had walked into the street and was nearly hit by a car a Senate doctor called Fetterman’s office to report that the senator walked into a group of people and nearly knocked them over near the underground trolleys running between the Capitol and congressional office buildings drawing a backlash from liberal supporters It seems that Fetterman’s health is raising the question of if he’s fit to continue serving in politics Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson has had enough of the Trump administration’s unchecked bullying of the nation’s judicial branch The Supreme Court’s most junior justice condemned Donald Trump’s attacks on the country’s judges Thursday night decrying the hostility from the executive branch as a threat to democracy “Across the nation, judges are facing increased threats of not only physical violence, but also professional retaliation just for doing our jobs,” Jackson said at a judge’s conference in Puerto Rico, according to Politico They seem designed to intimidate those of us who serve in this critical capacity.” who joined the nation’s highest bench in 2022 after she was appointed by former President Joe Biden did not mention Trump by name but instead referred to the president as the “elephant in the room.” Jackson further noted that Trump’s attacks are “not isolated incidents,” arguing that they “impact more than just individual judges who are being targeted.” “The threats and harassment are attacks on our democracy And they ultimately risk undermining our Constitution and the rule of law,” Jackson said and I do believe that history will vindicate your service.” She added that the judiciary had faced similar challenges during the Civil Rights Movement and the Watergate scandal when the branch of government was again in the public hot seat “Other judges have faced challenges like the ones we face today The sharp rebuke earned her a standing ovation at the conference, reported The Daily Beast It’s the second such instance in which a Supreme Court justice has critiqued Trump’s attempts to coerce America’s courtrooms Chief Justice John Roberts pushed back against the president’s demands to impeach a federal judge who dared to rule against his deportation plans “For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision,” Roberts said of Trump’s threats against U.S But Baosberg isn’t the only judge Trump has threatened Dozens of judges have ruled against Trump—and faced the wrath of his allies and his base for doing so