An almost 150-year-old stained glass window found in a long-unoccupied church in Warren, Rhode Island is believed to be the oldest-known public example of Jesus Christ depicted with dark skin. The 3.7-metre by 1.5-metre vintage work of art shows Christ interacting with women painted with similarly dark skins, a reminder of Rhode Island's relationship with the slave trade as well as a commentary on women's place in 19th century society. Reports suggest the ethnicity of the Christ figure, who could be interpreted as Middle Eastern, is up for interpretation. The current owners of the building are said to be looking for a suitable institution to preserve and display the window.
A Chinese comedy studio was fined around $2m for a joke that insulted China’s military, bringing to light the increasingly limited expression under China's leader, Xi Jinping. The Beijing Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau accused comedian, Li Haoshi, of “severely insulting” the People’s Liberation Army during two performances in Beijing on 12th June. The authority also indefinitely suspended all Beijing performances from Xiaoguo Culture Media, the company that employs Mr Li, and confiscated roughly $180,000 worth of illicit income uncovered during the investigation.
Hong Kong’s libraries have removed over 40% of books, magazines, and documentaries with “political themes” since Beijing imposed a national security law on the city. While commemorations of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre have been silenced, libraries have also removed media documenting the event, including documentaries made by public broadcaster RTHK. Independent media outlets in Hong Kong have also been subject to raids and arrests since the law came into effect, now making it difficult to find nine notable books detailing the massacre, including China specialist Orville Schell's book Mandate of Heaven. Media outlets remain under heightened scrutiny from Hong Kong authorities.
Around the world, cities are expanding. In North America, according to figures from the United Nations, 82% of the population live in urban areas, closely followed by Latin America. In Europe the figure is 74%. Compared to this, Africa is still fairly rural, less than half of its population (43%) live in cities. According to UN forecasts, more than two-thirds of the world's population will live in urban areas by 2050, with Africa and Asia driving this increase. Of the an additional two and a half billion people who will be added to the global urban population, 90% will be Africans and Asians. Africa’s urban population will exceed its rural population by 2033, rising to 60% by 2050. Currently, 60% of the urban population of sub-Saharan Africa lives in informal settlements, which the African Cities Research Consortium describes as areas that increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. More than 90% of Africa's cities have fewer than 100,000 inhabitants.
Argentina is seeing some of the highest inflation rates in the world, which has led to an increase in the prices of imports, leaving people struggling to afford the basics. The country's clothing and footwear sector experienced the highest monthly inflation of all categories in April at 10.8%, causing consumer sales to stall and small businesses' revenue to shrink. Meanwhile, strong labour laws and a sense of loyalty mean workers are so far being protected. However, the threat of hyperinflation and a full-blown economic crisis are looming large.
Maxime Bernier, leader of the right-wing People’s Party of Canada, is likely to lose a June 19 by-election in the Manitoba riding of Portage-Lisgar, according to political scientist Royce Koop. The riding repeatedly votes Conservative and the Conservatives have a strong candidate in Branden Leslie, Candice Bergen’s former campaign manager. In the 2021 election, Bernier’s party won the highest vote share of any Canadian riding with 22% of the popular vote in Portage-Lisgar, but the party is now said to be on the wane in the face of populist Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre.
UK business secretary Kemi Badenoch has held talks with bosses from automaker Stellantis, which has a major presence in the country. As well as the Vauxhall brand, the company owns Fiat, Citreon, Alfa Romeo, Peugeot and Jeep. Stellantis has electric vehicle plants in Ellesmere Port and Luton which employ many people in successful manufacturing roles. There are concerns, however, that Brexit could impact the ability of the UK auto sector to remain competitive.
Since the UK left the European Union’s single market and customs union, cross-border supply chains have been hit with new sales taxes and increased regulatory pressures. These changes have added complexity and expense, meaning that companies may be forced to move some or all of their production to remain competitive and profitable.“I think in the EU, if you have capability elsewhere, they’ll be looking to relocate to optimise,” remarked Carlos Tavares, chief executive of Stellantis, ahead of the talks.
The UK auto sector has already been impacted by a shortage of microchips. This has been a knock-on effect of the pandemic, which led to a rise in demand for technology products and disrupted production. Some experts predict that the shortage could last until next year. KPMG recently published a report which estimated that UK car exports could fall by around 278,000 this year, with a total cost of around £8.2bn ($11.3bn) as a result of supply chain disruptions and Brexit.
Illinois has won the right to prevent residents from buying automatic weapons and large-capacity magazines, at least for now. The Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected an emergency proposal from opponents of a new state law banning assault weapons, although it did not comment on the case and no justice took the opportunity to publicly dissent. The law bans sale of some semi-automatic guns such as AK-47s and AR-15s, and also restricts magazine volumes
A super PAC supporting Florida Governor Ron DeSantis's 2024 presidential efforts obtained a hand padded with more than fifty endorsements from members of the New Hampshire House of Representatives. However, four of the lawmakers on the list were also endorsing the opposing Donald Trump account. While NBC News reported that one of the legislators signed a commitment to DeSantis after retracting their endorsement, the details don't significantly affect either campaign's chances, with voters unlikely to be swayed heavily by a local politician's backing. Instead, their squabbles highlight the huge volume of representatives the state has such that they became pawns in high-level political games.
Sheffield Wednesday manager Darren Moore says it is still too easy for people to send racist messages online after being on the receiving end this weekend. The Owls manager was racially abused after his side lost their Sky Bet League One play-off semi-final first leg 4-0 at Peterborough last Friday night, with Owls chairman Dejphon Chansiri also the subject of vile messages. Wednesday have banned the individual responsible for Moore’s abuse while also involving the police and are carrying out the same process with Chansiri’s abuser.
Canada's Albertan elections, which will take place on May 29, have reached their midway point with the election contest remaining low-key due to the Canadian wildfires in the northern and central parts of the Albertan province. While the smoke surrounding Calgary has symbolised the confusion behind the competing poll numbers, the parties continue with their campaigning, with the United Conservative Party Leader, Danielle Smith, and the New Democratic Party Leader, Rachel Notley, battling it out even though switching between political roles and trying to support the emergency operations may be risking political votes for both leaders. Nevertheless, the UCP continues to focus on public safety by officially announcing a Broad-Based Treatment Law on drug addiction, while the NDP takes a bolder stance by attempting to balance the budget while introducing a three-year plan to increase spending by increasing corporate income tax by 11%, a risky move so close to tax-averse Albertans heading to the polls. All eyes turn to the televised leaders debate scheduled for Thursday night at 7 pm, which may provide a better vision for voters aiming to decide which party to trust.
Barclays is said to be planning a major push to grow business in Paris, with the aim of expanding its headcount in the city by around 200 people over the next two to three years. The bank already has around 300 employees in the French capital and plans to move to larger premises next year. In March, Paris overtook London as Europe’s largest stock market with the UK capital now $250bn (£204bn) smaller than the French equivalent. It lost its place as Europe’s largest centre for trading equities for the first time last year when Paris overtook it.
Nearly 250,000 people have been forced to flee after heavy rain caused flooding in central Somalia, according to the country’s government. The Shabelle river burst its banks and inundated the town of Beledweyne. The Somali Disaster Management Agency estimates that over 245,000 have been displaced in the town alone. The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs states that the floods have affected over 460,000 people nationwide since mid-March and have killed at least 22. Last year’s East African drought, the third consecutive year of low rainfall, was exacerbated by food insecurity and violence, causing an estimated 43,000 deaths.
Elon Musk has described working from home as "not just a productivity thing, I think it’s morally wrong". He believes that it is an insult to people who need to show up in person, such as those building and servicing cars or fixing houses. Following the evolution of Musk's comments on remote work starting from the onset of the pandemic to his comments today, the Tesla CEO has in recent times been a severe critic of remote work. Musk has compared Jewish financier George Soros to Marvel's supervillain Magneto, which has been seen as anti-Semitic and sparked further controversy.
How mental health workers and police in Thunder Bay are diverting crisis calls from the ER and jail
CBC
23-05-17 19:02
An initiative in Thunder Bay, Ontario, designed to divert mental health crisis calls from 911 and direct callers to community agencies, is seeing early success. The Integrated Mobile Police Assessment Crisis Team (IMPACT) sends police, mental health workers, and a crisis response team to locations where there have been mental health calls. The IMPACT program received 2,700 calls during its first two years. Around 64% of calls were for mental health services, and the same percentage of callers received support in the community, significantly reducing emergency department and jail visits. The program has led to cost savings, as officers spend less time waiting at the hospital. The Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre has been particularly impressed by the team’s efforts, which have led to more than 688 fewer visits to the emergency department so far this year. A grant has already been awarded to add another shift running from noon to midnight, but more resources and infrastructure for addiction and substance misuse crises are needed, says Jennifer Hyslop, CEO of the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Thunder Bay branch.
The rising cost of mortgage repayments is closing in the affordability of more Perth suburbs for single buyers and couples with lower deposits. During the 12 months following interest rate rises, the average couple's borrowing power has declined, with 15% of Perth's suburbs becoming unaffordable. Meanwhile, 115 out of 252 suburbs -- almost half of the state capital -- were deemed irrational purchases for single homeowners, according to Core Logic data. Despite the affordability decline, Western Australia remains the cheapest part of the country to purchase a home, with the median price of a house at AUD587,274 ($394,740).
A 6.4 magnitude earthquake was recorded in Guatemala, with the epicenter located near Canilla, a town 120 miles north of the capital. The quake struck at a depth of 158 miles and while people in the capital experienced the temblor, there have been no reports of injuries or damage.
Researchers have found that a drug called semaglutide can halve obesity rates among teenagers aged 12 to 18. The adolescents in the US trial were given the drug on a weekly basis along with lifestyle counselling for 16 months. Nearly half of the 134 teenagers were found to have their weight reduced to below the level of obesity as a result of the drug, surpassing other non-surgical methods. Almost 75% of those given the drug saw a significant enough change in weight to move into a new weight category such as moving from the most severe obesity category to a lesser stage.
Cathay Pacific Airways is giving away 500,000 free airline tickets to Hong Kong, open to those in Australia, Canada, Europe, Korea, the US, UK China and New Zealand. The tickets will be given through a campaign called "Hello Hong Kong". Vouchers for bars, restaurants and other tourist attractions in the city will also be given upon winning the tickets. The tickets come with certain conditions, such as taxes, fees and surcharges all being payable. However, the company said that the promotion aims to encourage more people to visit Hong Kong.
A man who killed eight people and injured 18 others in a truck attack on a Manhattan bike path in October 2017 has been given eight consecutive life sentences and another 260 years in prison. Sayfullo Saipov was sentenced after being found guilty by a jury in March, which rejected the death penalty. Among those killed were five tourists from Argentina, two Americans and a Belgian woman. Relating to Saipov’s statement in court that his victims’ tears were less significant than those of the wider Islamic community, Judge Vernon S Broderick said: “Your self-perceived sense of jihad… led you to this day”.
