Israel Strikes Lebanon, Gaza, as Al-aqsa Crisis Escalates

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7 April 2023, 16:17

APTOPIX Israel Palestinians — Fire and smoke rise following an Israeli airstrike in central Gaza Strip, Friday, April 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel conducted rare airstrikes in Lebanon on Friday, a sharp escalation that sparked fears of a broader conflict after militants fired dozens of rockets from Lebanon into Israeli territory. Israel also continued bombarding the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon — what analysts described as the most serious border violence since Israel’s 2006 war with Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group — threatened to push the confrontation into a dangerous new phase following violence at one of Jerusalem’s holiest sites.

Also on Friday, the Israeli military said that a Palestinian carried out a shooting attack against Israelis in the northern West Bank. Israeli medics said that three people were critically wounded and remained unconscious. The shooting marked the latest incident in a period of unusually high violence in the occupied territory.

Although the Israeli military was quick to emphasize that its warplanes struck sites belonging to only Palestinian militant groups, the barrage risks drawing in Israel’s bitter foe Hezbollah, which holds sway over much of southern Lebanon and has in the past portrayed itself as a defender of the Palestinians and the contested city of Jerusalem.

Even as Israel announced it was allowing residents of the south to leave bomb shelters and return home after an hourslong lull in hostilities, the Israeli military said it was boosting infantry and artillery forces along the country’s borders with Lebanon and Gaza “to prepare for all possible scenarios.”

“The forces are on high alert,” said Brig. Gen. Daniel Hagari.

AP23097266627356 — An Israeli woman inspects damage to her house hit by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, in Sderot, southern Israel, Friday, April 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)

A Palestinian official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media, said that Egyptian security officials have been working with Hamas and Israel to de-escalate the situation.

Earlier Friday, Israeli missiles struck an open field in the southern Lebanese town of Qalili, near the Palestinian refugee camp of Rashidiyeh, according to an Associated Press photographer and residents, killing several sheep and inflicting minor injuries on residents, including Syrian refugees. Other strikes hit a small bridge and power transformer in the nearby town of Maaliya and damaged an irrigation system providing water to orchards in the area.

Qalili resident Bilal Suleiman said his family woke to “violent bombing” that shattered their windows. “I immediately gathered my wife and children and got them out of the house in case there was another strike,” he said.

The Lebanese military said it found another rocket launcher Friday after dismantling several the day before.

AP23097240602681 — Palestinians inspect damage from overnight Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City, Friday, April 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)

The Israeli airstrikes came in response to an unusually large barrage of rockets from Lebanon after Israeli police raids at the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem spiraled into unrest and sparked outrage in the Arab world. The holy site, a tinderbox for Israeli-Palestinian tensions, sits on a hilltop sacred to both Muslims and Jews. In 2021, an escalation also triggered by clashes at the Al-Aqsa compound spilled over into an 11-day war between Israel and Gaza’s Hamas rulers.

On Friday, violence again broke out at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. Chaos erupted at one of the entrances to the esplanade before dawn prayers on Friday as Israeli police wielding batons descended on crowds of Palestinian worshippers, who chanted slogans praising Hamas as they tried to squeeze into the site. An hour later, according to videos, people leaving the prayers staged a vast protest on the limestone courtyard, with Palestinians raising their fists and shouting in support of Hamas rocket fire, and Israeli police forced their way into the compound.

Police did not comment on the earlier beatings, but said security forces entered the holy compound after prayers in response to “masked suspects” who threw rocks toward officers at one of the gates.

Military analysts and officials said they did not expect heavier fighting given the limited nature of Israeli strikes, but scenes of Israeli police beating Palestinians could further inflame tensions during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, a time of heightened religious fervor.

AP23096489937083 — Israeli police remove the remains of an intercepted rocket fired from Lebanon in Shlomi, northern Israel Thursday, April 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

The Israeli military said it was clear that both sides wanted to avoid a full-blown conflict. “Quiet will be answered with quiet,” Lt. Col. Richard Hecht, a spokesman for the Israeli military told reporters Friday. But, he added, “All our eyes are now on Jerusalem.”

The Israeli military said on Friday that Palestinian militants in Gaza had so far fired 44 rockets from Gaza, only 23 of which crossed into Israeli territory. The others either failed to launch, fell into the Mediterranean Sea, or were intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome aerial defense system, the military said. Most missiles that managed to cross the border struck open areas in Israel’s south, but one landed in the town of Sderot, sending shrapnel slicing into a house. There were no reports of Israeli casualties.

The Israeli military said it pounded Gaza with more airstrikes on Friday, hitting 10 targets that it described as underground tunnels, along with weapons production and development sites belonging largely to the Hamas militant group. There were no immediate reports of casualties in Gaza, but the Palestinian Health Ministry said that one of the strikes caused some damage to a children’s hospital in Gaza City.

“This is not the first time that health facilities have been targeted, and it is unacceptable,” the ministry said of the damage to Al Dorra Pediatric Hospital, which it said caused panic and confusion.

Hecht added that the military was looking into the reports of damage to the hospital. Residents in Gaza surveyed destruction at the site of a nearby Israeli attack in Gaza City, where an airstrike bore massive holes into the dirt, charred cars and blew out windows.

AP23096489420339 — A man inspects damage to a shopping center from an intercepted rocket fired from Lebanon in Shlomi, northern Israel Thursday, April 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

The current round of violence began Wednesday after Israeli police twice raided the Al-Aqsa Mosque. That led Thursday to rocket fire from Gaza and, in a significant escalation, the barrage from Lebanon.

The Israeli military said it would hold Lebanon accountable for rockets fired from its territory. Lebanese caretaker Defense Minister Maurice Slim, in a meeting with his Italian counterpart, promised Friday that the Lebanese army was working to “control security and maintain stability and calm in the south.”

Tensions have simmered along the Lebanese border in recent weeks as Israel appears to have ratcheted up its shadow war against Iranian-linked targets in Syria, another close ally of Iran, Israel’s archenemy in the region.

Suspected Israeli airstrikes in Syria in recent weeks have killed two Iranian military advisers and temporarily put the country’s two largest airports out of service. Hecht, the military spokesman, said Thursday’s rocket fire was not believed to be connected to events in Syria.

“It’s Hamas-dominant,” Hecht said, referring to the targets of the Israeli airstrikes both in Lebanon and Gaza.

In Jerusalem, even as calm returned to at Al-Aqsa a few hours after the burst of violence, the situation remained tense ahead of midday Friday prayers.

For the previous two nights, Palestinians have barricaded themselves in the mosque with stones and firecrackers. Israeli police have fired stun grenades and rubber bullets to evict the worshippers. On Tuesday, Israeli police fiercely beat Palestinians and arrested over 400 people, stoking rage across Arab towns in Israel, the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Israeli authorities control access to the site, but the compound is administered by Islamic and Jordanian officials.

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ISABEL DEBRE reported from Jerusalem. Abby Sewell in Beirut contributed to this report.

CP Foods’ Homegrown Shrimp USA Officially Opens its Florida Shrimp Operation Inaugural Ceremony for Aquaculture Technology of the Future

By

Contributor

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7 April 2023, 15:08

Charoen Pokphand Foods Ltd. (CP Foods) has announced the grand opening of its sustainable shrimp farm, Homegrown Shrimp USA, located in Indiantown, Florida. This marks a significant step for the Thai agriculture firm as it expands its presence in the developed market of the United States while maintaining a strong focus on sustainability.

Located in a rural, cattle and citrus community in the heartof Martin County. It produces Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei), the most widely shrimp cultured worldwide, and includes a hatchery established 5 years ago that has been producing and selling shrimp postlarvae to shrimp farmers in several countries around the world. It also now boasts its newly finished indoor grow-out facility, which recently started operations. “HGS now creates in the U.S. a much-desired, premium, wholesome and sustainable shrimp that consumers can enjoy and also feel good about consuming it,” said Dr. Robins Macintosh, HGS CEO and CP Foods Senior Vice President.

CP Foods’ commitment to producing sustainable shrimp in those countries it trades and conducts business with. HGS’s hatchery has the capacity to produce over 60 million postlarvae annually, and its new 80,000 ft2 indoor, metal building to grow the postlarvae to market size – which includes 40 circular production tanks and 8 tanks to recycle water and collect solid wastes, as well as a state-of-the-art water recirculation system, and the ability to control and keep water temperatures – a critical limitation to outdoor culture of shrimp – at slightly over 30 degrees-C, ideal for shrimp growth, survival and well-being.

CP Foods has been a leader in the development of shrimp culture since 1985, when there were less than 500 tons of shrimp produced in the world. Today, that figure is over 5 million tons of shrimp – and much of that increase has been possible thanks to technologies developed within the CP Foods. Its pioneering advances in shrimp genetics and in culture system technologies have reduced the cost of shrimp to consumers, made more shrimp available to the huge U.S. market, and made shrimp the top seafood in the country.

The opening ceremony included speeches from Thailand’s Ambassador to the U.S., His Excellency Tanee Sangrat, and from Dr. Robins MacIntosh. Also in attendance were Mrs. Cholatip Kambhu Sangrat (spouse of Ambassador Tanee); Mr. Thitiwat Sukhasvasti Na Ayudhaya, Economic Counselor, Royal Thai Embassy; and Ms. Maria D. Sariol, Honorary Consul-General in Coral Gables. CP FOODS executives present included Dr. Sujint Thamasart and Anat Julintron. Also in attendance were numerous HGS clients, friends of the company, and prominent members of the local community.

Dr. Macintosh’s final comments during the ceremony addressed the relevance of the innovative, industry-changing pioneering efforts embodied by HGS: “It is with disruptive technology being developed and optimized here [HGS] that aquaculture becomes one of the solutions for our deteriorating oceans…our mantra is ‘saving the oceans and helping feed people through aquaculture.’ Ultimately, as more knowledge is gained and efficiency improved in this facility, we envision these projects locally producing shrimp sustainably year-round anywhere in the world.”

Yona Beach Club Phuket Is Undergoing a Business Permit Inspection

By

Khaosod English

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7 April 2023, 13:38

Phuket Officials from the Kathu district administration, officials from the Thalang district administration, marine police, representatives from the community in the Patong area, and the relevant authority jointly inspected the Yona Beach Club Phuket boat in order to decide whether it can operate in the area.

Yona Beach Club Phuket boat had been converted into a floating entertainment venue and was anchored near the pier of the Ban Yamu boat ramp in the Pa Klok sub-district of Thalang district in Phuket province.

Officers conducted an inspection to ensure compliance after the boat owner applied for an operating permit even though the boat is not yet licensed to operate in Phuket province.

The inspection was assigned to individual authorities. These include boat registration and boat safety, which is the responsibility of the Port Authority.

The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources will review the quality of tourist services, waste management, water pollution control and the safety of boat moorings, which must not obstruct shipping lanes and coastal barriers and must not have a negative impact on the marine environment and its ecosystems.

The Provincial Excise Office carried out inspections on the sale of alcohol and tobacco, while the Occupational Health and Welfare Office checked the working conditions of the service personnel on the ships and those who prepared food on board.

Capt. Krit Khluabmas, deputy director of the Thai Marinetime Enforcement Command Center in Phuket province, said that after the inspection, the officers recommended and informed the contractors that if they found any deficiencies, they should report them.

As for the granting or denial of permits, this is a matter of enforcement of the law by each competent authority in the public sector, which includes listening to public opinion in Phuket province.

Ultimately, the relevant laws and regulations must be complied with. If services to tourists are allowed, officials will continue to conduct on-site inspections.

Beach Club Phuket has three storeys and 1,200 square metres of space. A 22-meter swimming pool in the middle is encircled by stylish lounge chairs and palm palms. at June 2022, this yacht departed from Trang port and arrived at Phuket. This boat departed from Trang port and arrived in Phuket in June 2022

The ship was originally scheduled to be formally inaugurated on January 24 of this year, but locals appeared to be against it. with worries about the environment and safety. Locals requested that the service be inspected by the authorities. As a result, it has been postponed to unknown dates.

Italy’s Berlusconi Has Leukemia, Lung Infection, Doctors Say

By

Associated Press

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7 April 2023, 10:25

Italy Berlusconi — FILE - Forza Italia party leader Silvio Berlusconi at he Senate, in Rome, on Oct. 26, 2022. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

ROME (AP) — Former Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi is being treated for a lung infection that is a result of chronic leukemia, his doctors said Thursday, revealing the latest of string of health setbacks for the 86-year-old media mogul.

Berlusconi’s personal physician, Alberto Zangrillo, signed off on a medical bulletin that said Berlusconi has had leukemia “for some time” but that the cancer of the blood cells was in a “persistent chronic phase.”

The statement was the first official word from doctors since Berlusconi was admitted to Milan’s San Raffaele Hospital on Wednesday. Dr. Fabio Ciceri, who is head of hematology, bone marrow transplation and blood cancer at the hospital, co-signed it.

AP23095432472943 — A view of the San Raffaele hospital, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, April 5, 2023. .(AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

“The current treatment strategy envisions treatment of the pulmonary infection” as well as specialized treatment “aimed at limiting the negative effects” of the chronic leukemia, the bulletin stated.

Berlusconi is a media mogul who served three terms as Italy’s premier and now serves in the Senate. He was admitted to an intensive care unit at San Raffaele Hospital on Wednesday for treatment of what aides indicated was a respiratory problem stemming from a previous infection.

Earlier Thursday, a close political ally, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, quoting Zangrillo, reported that Berlusconi was alert and in stable condition at the hospital. Tajani is the coordinator of Forza Italia, the political party that Berlusconi created some 30 years ago.

Zangrillo, Berlusconi’s longtime physician, is a chief anesthesiologist at San Raffaele Hospital. The former three-time premier and now senator had left the same hospital a week ago after several days of tests.

The medical bulletin didn’t specify which treatment Berlusconi was receiving.

AP23096350346044 — Marina Berlusconi, daughter of Silvio Berlusconi, arrives at the San Raffaele hospital, in Milan, Italy, Thursday, April 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Berlusconi “is currently in intensive care for the treatment of a pulmonary infection,” the bulletin said. It noted that his leukemia was in a ”persistent chronic phase” and that tests have found an “absence of evolving characteristics of acute leukemia,” which develops more quickly.

Doctors said the kind of leukemia afflicting Berlusconi usually appears in people of advanced age and is characterized by an increase in white blood cells known as monocytes.

Treatment for older patients could involve a stem cell transplant. But that could be difficult, according to an Italian non-profit association dedicated to combatting leukemia. Another treatment would involve controlling the white blood cell count.

Berlusconi’s doctors said they were aiming to “get back the pre-existing clinical conditions.”

Without citing any sources, Italian news agency ANSA reported that Berlusconi had received chemotherapy.

Berlusconi’s party whip in the lower chamber of the Italian Parliament, Paolo Barelli, told reporters that Berlusconi “is responding to treatment,” but Barelli declined to specify what kind.

A statement from Forza Italia said Berlusconi on Thursday morning had telephoned several party officials about political matters.

Meanwhile family members continued to visit Berlusconi. Spotted arriving at the hospital were his brother, Paolo, his eldest daughter, Marina, and his younger son, Luigi.

LaPresse news agency quoted Berlusconi’s brother Paolo as saying that the family was ”“relieved” and “hopeful” amid signs of improvement in his condition.

Fedele Confalonieri, Berlusconi’s longtime confidant and chairman of his media empire Mediaset, told reporters Thursday that “we’re more optimistic.”

The last years have seen Berlusconi suffer numerous health problems, including heart ailments and COVID-19 in 2020, which saw him hospitalized then in critical condition with pneumonia.

He has had a pacemaker for years, underwent heart surgery to replace an aortic valve in 2016 and overcame prostate cancer decades ago.

On March 31, Berlusconi tweeted when he left the hospital after a battery of tests that he was “ready and determined to commit myself as I’ve always done to the country I love.”

His brother made no comment upon arriving at the hospital Thursday morning. But when he left the hospital the night before, Paolo Berlusconi said of his brother: “He’s a rock. Thus, he’ll make it this time, too.”

AP23096322901907 — Luigi Berlusconi, son of Silvio Berlusconi waves to reporters as he arrives at the San Raffaele hospital, in Milan, Italy, Thursday, April 6, 2023.(AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

With no political heir apparent despite Berlusconi’s multiple health setbacks, Forza Italia has seen its popularity at the polls slump to a fraction of what it enjoyed years ago, when voters helped to repeatedly propel him into the premiership despite his legal woes.

Among the messages for a quick recovery was one from Premier Giorgia Meloni, who tweeted “Forza Silvio,” riffing off the soccer chant that Berlusconi turned into the name of his political party, which is currently one of two junior coalition partners in Meloni’s nearly six-month-old right-wing government.

On Wednesday, during a Senate confidence roll-call vote when Berlusconi’s name was called and an official said “absent,” a round of applause erupted from across the political spectrum in Parliament’s upper chamber.

The Senate seat Berlusconi won in September is fruit of his latest political comeback. A decade ago, he was banned from holding public office over a tax fraud conviction stemming from dealings in his media empire.

Last year, he triggered an uproar with comments about his old friend, Russian President Vladimir Putin, boasting that the two had exchanged birthday greetings. Berlusconi also has blamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the war.

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Luca Bruno in Milan contributed to this report.

Peace Corps Swear in Ceremony and Celebrate Six Decades in Thailand

By

Khaosod English

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7 April 2023, 08:54

On April 3, 2023, U.S. Ambassador Robert F. Godec and Peace Corps Director Carol Spahn swear-in 49 Peace Corps Trainees at Songphanburi Hotel, Suphanburi Province.

In Thailand, Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) serve with their Thai counterparts in two sectors: Education, and Youth in Development. Volunteers live in local communities across the country, learn the Thai language, and share American culture with their communities during their two-year assignments. More than 5,500 Peace Corps Volunteers have served in Thailand since 1962.

The swearing-in ceremony is conducted in conjunction with the 60th anniversary celebration of Peace Corps Thailand (the 60th anniversary celebration was supposed to happen last year but is delayed due to the pandemic). With U.S. Ambassador Robert F. Godec, Peace Corps Director Carol Spahn, Director-General Ureerat Charoentoh of the Thailand International Cooperation Agency, Royal Thai Government Officials, local partners, former Peace Corps Volunteers, and other special guests in attendance, the ceremony includes both the swearing-in of PCVs as well as a celebration of more than six decades of partnership between the Peace Corps, the Royal Thai Government, and the people of Thailand.

The history of Peace Corps in Thailand includes countless stories of people-to-people connections, shared experiences, collective work to achieve goals, the start of brilliant careers in international development and diplomacy, and enduring friendships. When the Peace Corps evacuated almost 7,000 PCVs worldwide, we could not have anticipated how long it would take to return. The reentry 31 months later only serves to underscore the spirit of resilience and a commitment to Thailand’s development.

Speaking to the new Peace Corps Volunteers, Peace Corps Thailand’s Country Director, Sonny Luu, reminds them that “serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer is a privilege. It is a privilege that has been extended to you by the people of Thailand who are inviting you here—into their communities, their homes; not as guests but as partners, as friends, as community members, and as family members–to work side-by-side with them as they strive to achieve their hopes and dreams for a more prosperous and peaceful future for them and their children.”

About the Peace Corps

The Peace Corps is an international service network of volunteers, community members, host country partners and staff who are driven by the agency’s mission of world peace and friendship. At the invitation of governments around the world, Peace Corps volunteers work alongside community members on locally prioritized projects in the areas of education, health, environment, agriculture, community economic development and youth development.

Through their service, members of the Peace Corps network develop transferable skills and hone intercultural competencies that position them to be the next generation of global leaders.

Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961, more than 240,000 Americans have served in 142 countries worldwide. For more information, visit peacecorps.gov and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. ###PeaceCorpsThailand #Volunteer

Dramatic Photos Show How Storms Filled California Reservoirs

By

Associated Press

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7 April 2023, 00:54

California Drought Refilled Reservoirs — A car crosses Enterprise Bridge over Lake Oroville's dry banks on May 23, 2021, left, and the same location on March 26, 2023, in Butte County, Calif. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

FOLSOM, Calif. (AP) — Water levels fell so low in key reservoirs during the depth of California’s drought that boat docks sat on dry, cracked land and cars drove into the center of what should have been Folsom Lake.

Those scenes are no more after a series of powerful storms dumped record amounts of rain and snow across California, replenishing reservoirs and bringing an end — mostly — to the state’s three-year drought.

AP23090818224363 — A car crosses Enterprise Bridge over Lake Oroville on March 26, 2023, left, and the same location on May 23, 2021, in Butte County, Calif. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Now, 12 of California’s 17 major reservoirs are filled above their historical averages for the start of spring. That includes Folsom Lake, which controls water flows along the American River, as well as Lake Oroville, the state’s second largest reservoir and home to the nation’s tallest dam.

It’s a stunning turnaround of water availability in the nation’s most populous state. Late last year nearly all of California was in drought, including at extreme and exceptional levels. Wells ran dry, farmers fallowed fields and cities restricted watering grass.

AP23090818310865 — Docks float in the Browns Ravine Cove area of Folsom Lake on March 26, 2023, left, and the same location on May 22, 2021, boat docks sit on dry land in Folsom, Calif., on May 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Josh Edelson)

The water picture changed dramatically starting in December, when the first of a dozen ” atmospheric rivers ” hit, causing widespread flooding and damaging homes and infrastructure, and dumping as many as 700 inches (17.8 meters) of snow in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

“California went from the three driest years on record to the three wettest weeks on record when we were catapulted into our rainy season in January,” said Karla Nemeth, director of California Department of Water Resources. “So, hydrologically, California is no longer in a drought except for very small portions of the state.”

AP23095016786175 — FILE – Houseboats rest in a channel at Lake Oroville State Recreation Area in Butte County, Calif., on Aug. 14, 2021.(AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)

AP23095016838561 — Houseboats float at Lake Oroville State Recreation Area on Sunday, March 26, 2023, in Butte County, Calif. Months of winter storms have replenished California’s key reservoirs after three years of punishing drought. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

All the rain and snow, while drought-busting, may bring new challenges. Some reservoirs are so full that water is being released to make room for storm runoff and snowmelt that could cause flooding this spring and summer, a new problem for weary water managers and emergency responders.

The storms have created one of the biggest snowpacks on record in the Sierra Nevada mountains. The snowpack’s water content is 239% of its normal average and nearly triple in the southern Sierra, according to state data. Now as the weather warms up, water managers are preparing for all that snow to melt, unleashing a torrent of water that’s expected to cause flooding in the Sierra foothills and Central Valley.

AP23095016901641 — FILE – A vehicle is parked on a newly revealed piece of land due to receding waters at the drought-stricken Folsom Lake in Granite Bay, Calif., on Saturday, May 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Josh Edelson, File)

AP23095016921415 — In an aerial view, a boat floats in the Granite Bay area of Folsom Lake, in Granite Bay, Calif., on Sunday, March 26, 2023. Months of winter storms have replenished California’s key reservoirs after three years of punishing drought. (AP Photo/Josh Edelson)

“We know there will be flooding as a result of the snowmelt,” Nemeth said. “There’s just too much snowmelt to be accommodated in our rivers and channels and keeping things between levees.”

Managers are now releasing water from the Oroville Dam spillway, which was rebuilt after it broke apart during heavy rains in February 2017 and forced the evacuation of more than 180,000 people downstream along the Feather River.

The reservoir is 16% above its historic average. That’s compared to 2021, when water levels dropped so low that its hydroelectric dams stopped generating power.

That year the Bidwell Canyon and Lime Saddle marinas had to pull most recreational boats out of Lake Oroville and shut down their boat rental business because water levels were too low and it was too hard to get to the marinas, said Jared Rael, who manages the marinas.

In late March, the water at Lake Oroville rose to 859 feet (262 meters) above sea level, about 230 feet (70 meters) higher than its low point in 2021, according to state data.

AP23095017203409 — FILE – Empty boat dock sit on dry land at the Browns Ravine Cove area of drought-stricken Folsom Lake in Folsom, Calif., on May 22, 2021 (above) and the same location on March 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Josh Edelson, File)

“The public is going to benefit with the water being higher. Everything is easier to get to. They can just jump on the lake and have fun,” Rael said. “Right now we have tons of water. We have a high lake with a bunch of snowpack. We’re going to have a great year.”

The abundant precipitation has prompted Gov. Gavin Newsom to lift some of the state’s water restrictions and stop asking people to voluntarily reduce their water use by 15%.

Newsom has not declared the drought over because there are still water shortages along the California-Oregon border and parts of Southern California that rely on the struggling Colorado River.

AP23095017111946 — FILE – Dry hillsides surround Lake Oroville on May 22, 2021, in Oroville, Calif and the same location on March 26, 2023. Months of winter storms have replenished California’s key reservoirs after three years of punishing drought. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)

Cities and irrigation districts that provide water to farms will receive a big boost in water supplies from the State Water Project and Central Valley Project, networks of reservoirs and canals that supply water across California. Some farmers are using the stormwater to replenish underground aquifers that had become depleted after years of pumping and drought left wells dry.

State officials are warning residents not to let the current abundance let them revert to wasting water. In the era of climate change, one extremely wet year could be followed by several dry years, returning the state to drought.

“Given weather whiplash, we know the return of dry conditions and the intensity of the dry conditions that are likely to return means we have to be using water more efficiently,” Nemeth said. “We have to be adopting conservation as a way of life.”

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By TERRY CHEA, and JOSH EDELSON reported from Folsom, NOAH BERGER reported from Oroville, California.

Video of Sri Lankan Who Died in Detention in Japan Shown to Public

By

Kyodo News

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7 April 2023, 00:11

Security camera footage showing a Sri Lankan woman before her death in a central Japan detention facility was publicly released Thursday for the first time by lawyers representing her family.

Approximately 7 minutes of roughly five total hours of government-provided security camera footage showing Ratnayake Liyanage Wishma Sandamali, who died at the age of 33 while being held at the Nagoya Regional Immigration Services Bureau in March 2021, was shown at a press conference in Tokyo.

Some of the released footage taken less than two weeks before Wishma’s death shows her bedridden and begging officers to take her to hospital after telling them she is unable to move or eat.

The footage also included later scenes of an officer and nurse chatting cheerfully while tending to Wishma as she moaned in pain.

In an excerpt from the day she was confirmed dead, an officer tries to wake an unresponsive Wishma after reporting over an intercom that her fingertips feel cold.

“I want the Japanese people to know how my sister suffered and was left to die in an environment where there was no one to help her,” Wishma’s younger sister Wayomi, 30, said at the press conference Thursday.

While Wishma’s family and some members of parliament have been able to privately view the footage, which the government submitted as evidence in a lawsuit, it marks the first time a portion of it has been made available to the public.

Wishma arrived in Japan in 2017 as a student but was taken into custody at the immigration facility in August 2020 for overstaying her visa.

She died on March 6, 2021, after complaining of ill health, which included vomiting and stomachaches, for around a month. Her death sparked national outrage over her treatment, forcing the government a few months later to drop a bill revising rules on foreigners facing deportation, including asylum seekers.

The government, however, has resubmitted the bill in the current Diet session, with Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno stressing at a press conference Thursday that its “early enactment is essential to prevent the recurrence of similar cases and to solve the problem of long-term detention.”

Wishma’s family is seeking damages from the government over her death, alleging she was illegally detained and died due to a lack of necessary medical care.

Saudis, Iranians Agree To Reopen Embassies, Ease Air Travel

By

Associated Press

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6 April 2023, 14:39

China Saudi Arabia-Iran — In this picture released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, left, shakes hands with his Saudi Arabian counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, right, and Chineses counterpart Qin Gang in Beijing Thursday, April 6, 2023. (Iranian Foreign Ministry via AP)

BEIJING (AP) — Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed Thursday to reopen diplomatic missions in their respective capitals and in additional cities, Iran’s semiofficial news agency said.

ISNA reported the foreign ministers reached the agreement in Beijing.

The deal calls for studying the prospects of resuming flights between the two nations and facilitating the visa process for the citizens of both countries. Saudi Arabia and Iran are long-time regional rivals, but have moved toward reconciliation as part of a deal brokered by China last month.

There was no immediate official confirmation of the ISNA report.

The agreement represents a new step toward reconciliation after seven years of tension, and lowers the chance of armed conflict between the Mideast rivals – both directly and in proxy conflicts around the region.

AP23096256128215 — In this picture released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, right, meets with his Saudi Arabian counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in Beijing Thursday, April 6, 2023. (Iranian Foreign Ministry via AP)

The deal was brokered by Beijing. It represents a major diplomatic victory for the Chinese as Gulf Arab states perceive the United States slowly withdrawing from the wider Middle East. It also comes as diplomats have been trying to end a long war in Yemen, a conflict in which both Iran and Saudi Arabia are deeply entrenched.

On Thursday morning, Saudi Arabia’s state-run Al-Ekhbariya TV showed Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amirabdollahian shaking hands and sitting side by side. Iran’s state TV said the two ministers met to discuss the details of reopening embassies.

It was the first formal meeting of senior diplomats from the two nations since 2016, when the kingdom broke ties with Iran after protesters invaded Saudi diplomatic posts there. Saudi Arabia had executed a prominent Shiite cleric with 46 others days earlier, triggering the demonstrations.

Tiktok’s Parent Has a New App: What To Know About LEMON8

By

Associated Press

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6 April 2023, 10:12

ByteDance Lemon8 — Lemon8, is a photo-based app that could be described as a mixture of Instagram and Pinterest with sprinkles of videos that resemble those posted on TikTok. It launched in Asian markets in 2020 and has already made headway in countries like Thailand and Japan. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

NEW YORK (AP) — As lawmakers debate whether to ban TikTok nationwide, its Chinese parent company has introduced a new app that’s already getting some traction.

The app, called Lemon8, is likely to face some of the same scrutiny as TikTok, which has been dogged by claims the Chinese government could force its parent company ByteDance to hand over U.S. user data or push misinformation on the platform.

TikTok maintains that hasn’t happened. And it’s attempting to convince lawmakers it can keep user data safe.

Meanwhile, ByteDance is pressing ahead with its expansion plans. Here’s what you need to know about the company’s new app:

WHAT IS LEMON8?

Lemon8 is a photo-based app that resembles a mixture of Instagram and Pinterest, and is sprinkled with videos that look like the ones posted on TikTok. Social marketing experts say the app is also reminiscent of the Chinese social media and e-commerce giant Xiaohongshu, which translates to “little red book.”

Like TikTok, Lemon8’s main feed features a “following” section that lets users look at content from creators they follow, as well as a “For You” section that recommends other posts. It also segments posts under different categories, like fashion, beauty and food, and allows users to explore content in other ways.

Similar to TikTok and other social media sites, Lemon8 collects user data, such as IP address, browsing history, device identifiers and other information.

Both the Apple and Google Play app stores list its owner as Heliophilia Pte. Ltd., a Singapore-based company that shares the same address as ByteDance and TikTok.

HOW POPULAR IS IT?

Lemon8 was first launched in Asian markets in 2020 and has already made headway in countries like Thailand and Japan, with roughly 7.4 million and 5 million downloads respectively, according to the app analytics company data.ai.

It was introduced in the U.S. in February with little fanfare, but all that changed when media organizations started paying closer attention and some TikTok influencers began promoting it.

As of Sunday, the app had 290,000 downloads in the U.S., the vast majority of which happened in late March, according to data.ai. It’s also listed as one of the most popular apps on Apple’s app store.

Nicla Bartoli, the vice president of sales at Influencer Marketing Factory, said ByteDance reached out to her company in late February and gave a lengthy presentation about the app and how influencers can use it. She said the agency, which connects brands with influencers, is recommending that influencers try out the app but isn’t doing the same with brands since Lemon8’s user base is still relatively small.

It also remains to be seen if the app will take off more organically or flop. The last five years have been littered with social media platforms that got a lot of hype, only to vanish in the end, said Brendan Gahan, partner and chief social officer at the creative agency Mekanism. He pointed to examples like BeReal and Clubhouse, which garnered a lot of attention in the past two years before users turned their attention elsewhere.

“Social app success is difficult to achieve and harder to maintain,” Gahan said.

WHAT HAS BYTEDANCE SAID ABOUT THE APP?

ByteDance did not reply to a request for an interview about how it plans to grow Lemon8. But the company’s general counsel Erich Andersen noted in an interview with the Associated Press at a cybersecurity conference last week that it will continue to develop the app.

“We’re obviously going to do our best with the Lemon8 app to comply with U.S. law and to make sure we do the right thing here,” said Andersen, who also serves as TikTok’s general counsel. “But I think we got a long way to go with that application — it’s pretty much a startup phase.”

As part of that work, ByteDance is already seeking job applicants for a few U.S.-based roles that will help grow the app’s partnerships with influencers on beauty, food, health and other topics.

WHAT ELSE IS BYTEDANCE DOING?

Another app owned by ByteDance, called CapCut, is also listed on Apple’s app store as one of the most popular apps in the U.S.

CapCut markets itself as an “all-in-one” video editing tool that allows users to cut or speed up their content, and do other things like add filters and music.

Data.ai, the app analytics company, said that app was released globally in April 2020, roughly a year after it was introduced in China. As of Sunday, the group said the editing tool had been downloaded 60 million times in the U.S. and 940 million globally.

ARE LAWMAKERS ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT THE OTHER APPS?

There is support for a bipartisan bill in the Senate, called the RESTRICT Act, that does not call out TikTok but would give the Commerce Department power to review and potentially restrict foreign threats to technology platforms. But it has faced some pushback from privacy advocates and ring-wing commentators who argue the legislation is too vague and could be abused.

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner, who sponsored the bill along with Republican Sen. John Thune, said in a prepared statement that the legislation would make it easier to go after other risky apps like Lemon8.

“For too long, our government has been playing a game of Whac-A-Mole when it comes to addressing the various foreign technology threats popping up all around us,” said Warner, D-Va. “The RESTRICT Act would establish a risk-based, intelligence-informed process to evaluate and mitigate the risks posed by tech from adversarial nations, whether that be Huawei, TikTok, Lemon8, or the next viral technology product pushed by an authoritarian nation.”

Brazil Man Kills 4 Children With Hatchet at Daycare Center

By

Associated Press

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5 April 2023, 23:37

Brazil Daycare Attack — A woman conforts a crying girl outside the daycare center "Cantinho do Bom Pastor" after a fatal attack on children in Blumenau, Santa Catarina state, Brazil, Wednesday, April 5, 2023. (Patrick Rodrigues/Portal NSC Total via AP)

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A man with a hatchet jumped over a wall and invaded a daycare center Wednesday in Brazil, killing four children and wounding at least five others, authorities said.

The assailant turned himself in at a police station and did not appear to have any connection with the center, which offers nursery services, preschool education and after-school activities. The dead were between the ages of 5 and 7, authorities said.

Authorities were searching for a motive, the police detective leading the investigation, Ronnie Esteves, told television reporters in Blumenau, a city in southern Brazil, near the Atlantic coast.

Images broadcast on networks showed weeping parents outside the private daycare center called Cantinho do Bom Pastor. The attack took place on the center’s playground, according to the local affiliate of television network Globo. NSC, the affiliate, showed a photo of the suspect with a closely shaved head. Police have yet to confirm his identity.

Blumenau’s mayor, Mário Hildebrandt, suspended classes and said he will declare a 30-day mourning period. The state government said in a statement that rumors circulating on social media of other potential attacks were false.

The mayor said five wounded children were take to hospitals. One was in serious condition.

School attacks in Brazil have happened with greater frequency in recent years. Last week, a student in Sao Paulo fatally stabbed a teacher and wounded several others in Sao Paulo.

AP23095542007558 — An ambulance is parked outside the private daycare center “Cantinho do Bom Pastor” after a fatal attack on children in Blumenau, Santa Catarina state, Brazil, Wednesday, April 5, 2023. (Denner Ovidio/Futura Press via AP)

Brazil has seen at least one past attack on a daycare center. That attack also occurred in Santa Catarina state, in 2021, when an assailant used a dagger to kill three children under 2 years old and two adults.

From 2000 to 2022, 16 attacks or violent episodes happened in schools, four of them in the second half of last year, according to a report from researchers led by Daniel Cara, an education professor at the University of Sao Paulo. The researchers prepared the report for the government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

“There is no greater pain than that of a family who loses its children or grandchildren, even more so in an act of violence against innocent and defenseless kids,” Lula wrote Wednesday on Twitter. “My thoughts and prayers are the families of victims and the community of Blumenau in the face of the monstrosity of what occurred.”

Blumenau, a city of 366,000 people, is famous for its annual Oktoberfest festival.

_______

DAVID BILLER and LAÍS MARTINS Associated Press reported.

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