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☆ Middle East Crisis U.N. Says About 300,000 Gazans Have Fled Rafah
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Mike Ives | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

There has been intense bombardment and fighting around Rafah since Monday, when Israel seized control of the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, largely halting the flow of aid. Dozens of people have been killed by Israeli strikes in Rafah since then, local health officials say. Israeli warplanes dropped leaflets over parts of Rafah and over a part of northern Gaza on Saturday that ordered people to flee. “Forcing civilians to evacuate Rafah to unsafe zones is intolerable,” Josep Borrell Fontelles, the European Union’s top diplomat, wrote late Saturday on the social media platform X. Several countries and international aid groups have condemned the prospect of a full-scale Rafah invasion, saying it would be catastrophic for civilians.

Persons: Gazans, Israel, ” Josep Borrell Fontelles, Biden Organizations: United Nations, Rafah Indonesian Field Hospital Locations: Gaza, Rafah, Egypt, Al, Israel, United

☆ Apple Store workers in Maryland vote to authorize strike
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Apple Store workers in Towson, Maryland, the first of the tech giant’s retail employees to unionize, made history again by voting late Saturday in favor of authorizing a strike. “We deeply value our team members and we’re proud to provide them with industry leading compensation and exceptional benefits.”The union at the Towson store has not disclosed what date members would strike. Apple employees at the Mall at Short Hills store in New Jersey voted against unionizing on Saturday, according to Bloomberg. The union, known as the Communications Workers of America, alleged Apple engaged in illegal union-busting activity and blamed the defeat on the Apple’s tactics. The labor wave hitting Apple retail stores echoes the mass organizing that began at other influential companies in the United States, such as Starbucks and Amazon.

Persons: ”, Apple, “, unionizing, ” Kate Bronfenbrenner, CNN’s Ramishah Maruf Organizations: New, New York CNN, Apple, International Association of Machinists, Aerospace Workers Coalition, Retail Employees, IAM CORE, ” Employees, CNN, Towson, Bloomberg, Communications Workers of America, CWA, Labor, National Labor Relations Board, Labor Education Research, Cornell’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations Locations: New York, Towson , Maryland, Towson, Baltimore, Short, New Jersey, Washington, China, New York City, United States

☆ Hobbled by Cyberattack, Christie’s Says Marquee Sales Will Proceed
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Zachary Small | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Officials at Christie’s auction house said on Saturday that the marquee sales that account for nearly half of its annual revenue would continue, despite the company having lost control of its official website last Thursday in a hack that is testing the loyalty of its ultrawealthy clients amid its spring auctions. Natasha Le Bel, a spokeswoman for the auction house, said that Christie’s New York sales of modern and contemporary art “will take place as planned,” but did not respond to questions of how the online portion of the auction would continue. “We remain committed to providing the highest level of service to our clients and look forward to a successful week,” she said. It was the second time in less than a year that Christie’s had suffered a breach. In August, a German cybersecurity company revealed a data breach at the auction house that leaked the locations of artworks held by some of the world’s wealthiest collectors.

Persons: Natasha Le Bel, ”, Christie’s Locations: York, German

☆ Israel pushes deeper into Rafah and battles a regrouping Hamas in northern Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Warnings continued against the growing offensive in Rafah, considered the last refuge in Gaza for more than a million civilians as well as Hamas' last stronghold. The two towns near Gaza's northern border with Israel were heavily bombed in the opening days of the war. Israel has now evacuated the eastern third of Rafah, and Hagari said dozens of militants had been killed there as "targeted operations continued." Israeli troops have captured the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing, forcing it to shut down. Smoke billows after Israeli bombardment in central Gaza City on March 18, 2024, amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the militant group Hamas.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Israel, Volker Turk, Benjamin Netanyahu, Hatem Khaled, Netanyahu, Abdel, Kareem Radwan, Daniel Hagari, Ben Caspit, Khan Younis, Hagari Organizations: Hamas, Afp, Getty, U.S, CBS, International Court of Justice, United Nations, Palestinian Authority, West Bank, Health Ministry, Palestinian Civil Defense, Al Qahera News Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Israel, RAFAH, Egypt, South, United States, Palestinian, Gaza City, Jabaliya, Beit Lahiya, Gaza's, Hamas, Israel's

☆ Roger Corman, 98, Dies; Proud and Prolific Master of Low-Budget Cinema
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Aljean Harmetz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Roger Corman, who for decades dominated the world of B movies as the producer or director of countless proudly low-budget horror, science fiction and crime films, has died. Mr. Corman “was able to nurture other talent in a way that was never envious or difficult, but always generous,” Mr. Scorsese said of him. “He once said: ‘Martin, what you have to get is a very good first reel, because people want to know what’s going on. Then you need a very good last reel, because people want to hear how it all turns out. Everything else doesn’t really matter.’ Probably the best sense I have ever heard about the movies.”

Persons: Roger Corman, Corman, ”, Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Bertha ”, Jonathan Demme, Peter Bogdanovich, Ron Howard, Corman “, Mr, Scorsese, “, ‘ Martin Locations: Santa Monica, Calif

☆ Bus Crash in Indonesia Kills 11, Including Students, After Graduation Celebration
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Jin Yu Young | More About Jin Yu Young | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A bus carrying students and teachers returning from a graduation celebration crashed in Subang, Indonesia, on Saturday evening, killing at least 11 people, many of them students. The crash occurred around 6:45 p.m. as the vehicle was returning from a hilly resort area in Bandung to Depok, West Java, the authorities said. While the cause of the accident was still under investigation on Sunday, the West Java police said that the bus had sped out of control on a downhill road and crashed into multiple vehicles. An initial investigation revealed that the bus was apparently not fit for the road and had malfunctioning brakes. There were 61 passengers aboard, according to the police, who said that nine people died at the scene and two died later in a hospital.

Organizations: West Java Locations: Subang, Indonesia, Bandung, Depok, West Java

About 2,800 residents from the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality and about 450 residents from the Fort Nelson First Nation were asked to evacuate. Wildfire smoke has been linked to increases in certain cancers and heart-related issues, among other ailments. In 2023, 19 counties in 11 states had days with “very unhealthy” and “hazardous” air quality — given at least a “code purple” alert on the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index. Light rain showers were expected overnight Sunday with more rain forecast Monday, “which will help lower fire activity,” a Sunday update from Alberta Wildfire said. Fire restrictions will remain in effect in the area until conditions improve, according to Alberta Wildfire.

Persons: Parker, “, ” Ben Boghean, ” Cliff Chapman, Jaylene, Terry Cavaliere, ” Boghean, Paul, Crews Organizations: CNN, BC Wildfire Service, Northern Rockies Regional, Fort Nelson, Wildfire, Northern Rockies, Fort Nelson First Nation, Environment Canada, Canadian Interagency Fire Centre, Air, Environmental Protection Agency, US, Protection, British Columbia, Alberta, Reuters Residents, Estates, Lake Estates, Fort McMurray, Alberta Wildfire Locations: British Columbia, Fort Nelson, Northern Rockies Regional Municipality, Parker, Fort, Canada, Maryland, Alberta, Fort McMurray, Saskatchewan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Minneapolis, St, United States, British, Grande Prairie Forest, TeePee Creek , Alberta, Regional, Wood Buffalo, Lake

☆ Louisiana parishioners confront teen who entered church with a gun during children’s mass, police say
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Chris Boyette | Elizabeth Wolfe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A mass celebrating a group of children’s first communion at a church in southern Louisiana was interrupted Saturday when a 16-year-old boy armed with a gun walked in, the church and police said. The incident happened in Abbeville at the St. Mary Magdalen Church when a “suspicious person” opened the back door of the church while mass was underway, the church said in a statement. Parishioners immediately confronted the person, took him outside and called the police, the church said in a message to its community. Some parishioners in the front pews appeared concerned and were turning around to look toward the back of the church, the video shows. CNN also reached out to St. Mary Magdalen Church for more information.

Persons: Mary Magdalen, ”, Father Nicholas DuPré, DuPré, Go, He’s, Mike Hardy, “, “ Grant, Grant, Mary Magdalen Parish, CNN’s Rafael Romo, Yan Kaner Organizations: CNN, Mary Magdalen Church, Authorities, Abbeville Police Department, Mary Magdalen Catholic, Abbeville Police, FBI, Facebook, National Register of Historic Places Locations: Louisiana, Abbeville, St, ” St, Vermilion Parish, Lafayette

☆ Apple's Maryland store workers vote to authorize strike
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Apple Store at Towson Town Center Mall on May 10, 2024 in Towson, Maryland. Workers at Apple 's store in Towson, Maryland, have voted in favor of authorizing a strike, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (AIM) said in a statement late on Saturday. The date for work stoppage has yet to be decided, according to the union, which represents Apple's retail store workers in Maryland. Meanwhile, workers at Apple's store in Short Hills, New Jersey, voted against unionizing, Bloomberg News reported on Saturday. CWA and the NLRB did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the Bloomberg report on the New Jersey workers' vote.

Persons: John Nagy Organizations: Apple, Towson Town, Workers, International Association of Machinists, Aerospace Workers, AIM, Towson, Maryland, unionizing, Bloomberg, . Communications Workers of America, National Labor Relations Board, Communications Workers of America, CWA, NLRB, New Locations: Towson , Maryland, Maryland, United States, Short Hills , New Jersey, New Jersey

☆ Trump, Bashing Migrants, Likens Them to Hannibal Lecter, Movie Cannibal
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Michael Gold | More About Michael Gold | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The late, great Hannibal Lecter. He’s a wonderful man,” Mr. Trump said in Wildwood, N.J. “He often times would have a friend for dinner. ‘Excuse me, I’m about to have a friend for dinner,’ as this poor doctor walked by. ‘I’m about to have a friend for dinner.’ But Hannibal Lecter. The late, great Hannibal Lecter.”He continued: “We have people that have been released into our country that we don’t want in our country, and they’re coming in totally unchecked, totally unvetted.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Hannibal Lecter, ”, “, Mr, ‘, we’re Organizations: Lambs Locations: New Jersey, Wildwood , N.J, United States

☆ Trump leads his supporters in vulgar chants at Jersey Shore rally
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Donald Trump held a rally in Wildwood, New Jersey, on Saturday night. The former president launched vulgar jabs at his opponents and roused crude chants from his supporters. Trump is on trial accused of making a hush money payment to the porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementDonald Trump launched a slew of vulgar jabs at his legal and political opponents and encouraged crude chants at a rally Saturday evening in Wildwood, New Jersey.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Stormy Daniels, —, MAGA, Alvin Bragg, Alvin, Juan Merchan, Merchan Organizations: Service, Manhattan District, Republican, New, Business Locations: Wildwood , New Jersey

CNN —A 62-year-old man has died months after becoming the world’s first living recipient of a genetically edited pig kidney transplant, hailed as a medical milestone. Rick Slayman received the kidney at Massachusetts General in March after he had been diagnosed with end-stage kidney disease last year. “Our family is deeply saddened about the sudden passing of our beloved Rick but take great comfort knowing he inspired so many,” a family statement said. Before Slayman’s transplant, just two transplants using pig organs had been completed – both heart transplants performed under compassionate use. EGenesis, the biotech company providing the genetically edited pig kidney, called Slayman “a true pioneer” in a statement late Saturday night.

Persons: Rick Slayman, Mr, Slayman, Slayman’s, ”, “, Rick, –, ” Slayman, Tatsuo Kawai Organizations: CNN, Massachusetts General, Massachusetts Department of Transportation, Legorreta, Procurement, Transplantation Network, Massachusetts Locations: Massachusetts, ” Massachusetts

☆ Susan Backlinie, Swimmer Who Was First Victim in ‘Jaws,’ Dies at 77
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Johnny Diaz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The actress and stunt woman Susan Backlinie, whose portrayal of a violent death as the first shark attack victim in the opening scene of the blockbuster movie “Jaws” terrified moviegoers, died on Saturday. Ms. Backlinie died at her home in California, her agent, Sean Clark, said on Sunday. “Jaws,” the 1975 movie directed by Steven Spielberg, memorably features Ms. Backlinie in a scene in which she played a skinny-dipper, Chrissie Watkins, who runs along the beach and dives into the water for a nighttime swim. The placid scene is shattered as she is suddenly pulled under the water. She screams while being violently thrashed by an unseen great white shark and tries desperately to cling to a clanging buoy only to be pulled below the water one final time.

Persons: Susan Backlinie, Backlinie, Sean Clark, Steven Spielberg, Chrissie Watkins Locations: California

☆ Lauren Price: The new boxing ‘superstar’ who played international soccer and juggled training with driving taxis
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —When Lauren Price was eight years old, she wrote down three goals for herself – to become a kickboxing world champion, play international soccer for Wales and compete at an Olympic Games. At 12, she was a world kickboxing champion, a title she won another three times. “This is just the start,” Price, now the WBA, IBO and Ring Magazine welterweight champion, told broadcaster Sky Sports afterwards. Lauren Price won a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021. My nan used to say ‘reach for the moon, if you fall short you’ll land on the stars,’” Price told Sky Sports.

Persons: Lauren Price, –, Price, Matt Lewis, Jessica McCaskill, McCaskill’s, ” Price, “, Katie Taylor, Derek, Linda, Buda Mendes, ’ ” Price, it’s, ”, Ben Shalom Organizations: CNN, Wales, Olympic, Soccer, London, Tokyo, WBA, IBO, Sky Sports, National Lottery, Tokyo Olympic Games Locations: Cardiff, Wales, Ireland

☆ Russia claims to have captured five border villages in Kharkiv amid fresh offensive
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Radina Gigova | Josh Pennington | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Ukrainian forces, meanwhile, said it continued efforts to repel the stepped-up Russian attacks while hundreds of Ukrainian civilians have been evacuated from the northern Kharkiv region. Ukraine’s Oleh Syniehubov, Head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, disputed that the five villages in the Kharkiv Region had been captured in a statement on Saturday. The grey zone represents territory currently contested rather than under full Russian or Ukrainian control. At least three people died as a result of Russian strikes on Kharkiv region overnight, according to the head of the region’s military administration. Its forces attacked Kharkiv region after the full-scale invasion began in 2022 but were forced out in a Ukrainian counteroffensive later that year.

Persons: CNN —, Volodymyr Zelensky, Oleh, ” Syniehubov, “, Andrey Bocharov, ” Organizations: CNN, Russia’s Ministry of Defense, “, Sever Group of Forces, Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, The Defense Forces Locations: Kharkiv, Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, Keramik, Donetsk, Ukrainian, Kharkiv Region, Strilecha, Oliynykove, Volgograd

☆ Baltimore bridge update: Explosives to be used in demolition effort to free trapped cargo ship
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Nicole Grether | Gloria Pazmino | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Officials are tentatively scheduled to carry out the controlled demolition around 5 p.m., according to the US Coast Guard. The planned demolition is aimed at helping officials remove debris and ultimately free the 213-million-pound Dali cargo ship, which veered off course March 26 and struck a pillar of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to fall into the water below. The collapse killed six construction workers and destroyed a key thoroughfare, threatening the economy at the Port of Baltimore. Officials last week recovered the sixth and final body, allowing them to proceed with the plan to free the Dali. “The safest and swiftest method to remove the bridge piece from on top of the M/V Dali is by precision cuts made with small charges,” the Key Bridge Response Unified Command said in a news release last week.

Persons: CNN — Crews, Francis Scott Key, Dali, Kevin Dietsch, Holly Yan, Dakin Andone Organizations: CNN, US Coast Guard, Port, Baltimore Sun, WBAL, Command, ”, US Army, US Army Corps of Engineers, Unified Command, Army Corps, Engineers, Committee, Transportation, Infrastructure, National Transportation Safety, Coast Guard, Army Corps of Engineers, US Department of Transportation Locations: Baltimore, Port of Baltimore

☆ Switzerland wins Eurovision Song Contest amid Gaza protests
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The completed stage for the Eurovision song contest (ESC) is pictured at the Malmo Arena, shown to the media at a press conference in Malmo, Sweden on April 25, 2024. Switzerland on Saturday won the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Swedish host city Malmo, beating runner-up Croatia, after having been among bookmakers' top-three to win the competition. Swiss rapper and singer Nemo, 24, won the contest with "The Code", a drum-and-bass, opera, rap and rock song, about Nemo's journey of self-discovery as a non-binary person. The Eurovision winner is awarded the contest's official glass trophy, which is shaped like a classic, old-fashioned microphone, with sand blasted and painted details. "I didn't just break the code, I also broke the trophy," Nemo said, laughing, at the press conference after the win.

Persons: Nemo, Celine Dion, Swiss revellers, Maha Nater, Lasagna, Marko Purisic, Israel's Eden Golan, Joost Klein Organizations: Eurovision, Malmo, Saturday, Moi, Protesters, European Broadcasting Union, Russia, Police Locations: Malmo, Sweden, Switzerland, Croatia, Israel, Gaza, Swiss, Zurich, Europe, Ukraine, Dutch

☆ Opinion: Eurovision’s slogan is ‘United by Music.’ The reality turned out very different
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Opinion Louis Staples | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —The Eurovision Song Contest is a glittery and eccentric spectacle that rivals the Super Bowl for its attraction to audiences. When combined with the jury vote, Israel’s impressive public vote tally saw Golan finish in fifth place overall. Despite this, the EBU has always insisted that Eurovision is an apolitical music competition between broadcasters, rather than a political competition between governments. The 2023 contest in Liverpool was a moving display of unity — so much that Liverpool’s slogan, “United By Music,” was adopted by Eurovision for all future contests. On Saturday, there was very little sense that Eurovision was “united by music.” Some fans boycotted, while others mobilized online to vote for Israel.

Persons: Louis Staples, Celine Dion, Louis Staples Louis Staples, Greta Thunberg, Eden Golan, Israel, —, Lasagna, Golan, Nemo, Russia —, ”, Turkey, Isaac Herzog, Bambie, Joost Klein, AVROTROS, Martin Österdahl Organizations: Guardian, Rolling Stone, Wired, CNN, Super Bowl, Hamas, European Broadcasting Union, Eurovision, EBU, “ United, Music, Israel, Ukraine, Twitter, Facebook Locations: London, Slate, Switzerland, Swedish, Malmö, Gaza, Europe, Turkey, Israel, Russia, Greece, Cyprus, Ukraine, Liverpool, United Kingdom, Italy, France, Germany, Netherlands, Dutch

☆ Live updates: Israel-Hamas war as Rafah invasion looms
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Sophie Tanno | Amarachi Orie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

The Israeli military has ordered the immediate evacuation of several more neighborhoods in eastern Rafah as the Israeli military steps up its operations in the southern Gazan city. “They (Israelis) told us to leave the area in the morning,” one woman in al-Shabora, Rafah told CNN without giving her name. It comes as thousands of Gazans continue to flee Rafah after the Israeli military issued a call Monday for residents in the municipality of Al-Shawka and in the Al-Salam, Al-Jeneina, Tiba Zaraa, and Al-Bayouk neighborhoods in the Rafah area to "evacuate immediately." Israel has ordered Palestinians to leave to Al-Mawasi, a coastal town near the city of Khan Younis, where an “expanded humanitarian area” has been created. Satellite images obtained by CNN have shown that Israel’s current attacks in Rafah havedeveloped from airstrikes to ground operations.

Persons: “, Salam, Tiba Zaraa, Israel, Khan Younis Organizations: People, IDF, Israel Defense Forces, Spokesperson's, CNN Locations: Rafah, Gazan, al, Al, Khirbet Al, Shabora, Khan, ”

☆ Away From the Confines of a Courtroom, Trump Rallies Beachside at the Jersey Shore
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Michael Gold | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

After a long and often tense week in his criminal trial in Manhattan, former President Donald J. Trump on Saturday took part in a time-honored ritual enjoyed by countless New Yorkers in need of a break: He went to the shore. Sandwiched between the boardwalk and the Atlantic Ocean, Mr. Trump stood in front of tens of thousands of people at a rally on the beach in Wildwood, N.J., where he largely repeated the same criticisms of President Biden that have characterized his stump speech in recent months. Fresh from court, Mr. Trump insisted that his case in Manhattan, on charges that he falsified business records related to a hush-money payment, was a “Biden show trial,” even though there is no evidence to suggest that Mr. Biden has been involved in the case. Mr. Trump railed against pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses, vowed to crack down on immigration and repeated his false claims that Democrats stole the 2020 election from him.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Biden Organizations: Saturday Locations: Manhattan, Wildwood , N.J

☆ At U.C. Berkeley Ceremony, a Student Protest Draws in Hundreds
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Holly Secon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Befitting a campus synonymous with student protest, the graduation ceremony at the University of California, Berkeley, on Saturday blurred the lines between pomp and pro-Palestinian activism. When the university chancellor, Carol Christ, took the stage around 10:45 a.m. at the school’s Memorial Stadium, a smattering of boos erupted from graduating students. But her initial remarks, acknowledging the students camping on Berkeley’s Sproul Plaza for almost three weeks, elicited cheers. They began to chant: “Hey hey, ho ho, the occupation has got to go” and “U.C. divest.” They also interrupted the speech by the student body president, Sydney Roberts, who said, “This wouldn’t be Berkeley without a protest.”

Persons: Carol Christ, “, Sydney Roberts, ” Organizations: University of California, ” Locations: Berkeley, Gaza, ”

☆ A ‘Sacred Moment’: Mayor Eric Adams on his Meeting With Pope Francis
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Jeffery C. Mays | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mayor Eric Adams, who talks often about his faith, acknowledged on Saturday that he had felt some uncertainty — if not anxiety — about meeting Pope Francis. But at the Vatican, as Mr. Adams stooped before the pope, he felt any disquiet he had wash away. Pope Francis placed his hand on the mayor’s right arm. “I think that some people have a level of aura and energy and the ability to just calm people,” said Mr. Adams, who is Christian but not Catholic. The visit came as the mayor, who is up for re-election next year, faces difficulties in New York City, including lagging poll numbers and a federal investigation into his campaign fund-raising.

Persons: Eric Adams, Pope Francis, Adams stooped, “, ”, Adams Organizations: Mr Locations: Italy, New York, New York City

☆ Eurovision Disqualifies Dutch Entrant Hours Before Final
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Alex Marshall | More About Alex Marshall | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Just hours before this year’s Eurovision Song Contest final was scheduled to begin in Malmo, Sweden, on Saturday, the glitzy singing competition was thrown into crisis after organizers banned the Netherlands’ entry from taking part. On Friday, the Dutch musician, Joost Klein, whose songs mix pop with hyperfast beats, did not appear for a scheduled rehearsal to perform his song “Europapa,” which was then among the favorites to win. Shortly afterward, the European Broadcasting Union, which organizes the contest, said in a statement that it was “investigating an incident” involving the Dutch artist. On Saturday morning, a Swedish police spokeswoman said in an email that officers were investigating a man “suspected of unlawful threats” toward a Eurovision employee and had passed a file to prosecutors to consider charges. Eurovision organizers said in a new statement that it was Klein under investigation, and that “it would not be appropriate” for the musician to compete in Saturday’s final while a legal process was underway.

Persons: Joost Klein, Klein Organizations: European Broadcasting Union, Eurovision Locations: Malmo, Sweden, Netherlands, Dutch, Swedish

Night skies in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere are expected to bloom again on Saturday night with the vivid colors of the northern lights, or aurora borealis, as a powerful geomagnetic storm caused by a hyperactive sun persists through the weekend. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which monitors space weather, said in an update on Saturday that it continued to observe solar activity that could lead to periods of “severe-extreme” geomagnetic storms. Major power utilities had largely prepared their electrical grids for the solar storm, and their customers were unaffected. For most people, the solar storm was a gift: It caused ribbons of pink, purple and green light across night skies of much of the United States, Canada and Europe. Where evening skies are clear on Saturday, the lights can be expected again.

Organizations: Northern, Atmospheric Administration Locations: United States, Canada, Europe

☆ Missed the dazzling northern lights show? You might get another chance Saturday night
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Ramon Sanchez | Ray Sanchez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle/Getty Images The northern lights shine in the night sky above the Molenviergang in Aarlanderveen, the Netherlands, early May 11. Alexey Malgavko/Reuters The northern lights are seen in a rural area west of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Friday, May 10. Courtesy Luke Culver People photograph the northern lights from Whitley Bay, England, on May 10. Courtesy Jan Reed The northern lights glow in the night sky in Brandenburg, Germany, on May 10. Increased solar activity causes auroras that dance around Earth’s poles, known as the northern lights, or aurora borealis, and southern lights, or aurora australis.

Persons: Chad Myers, it’ll, Alastair Johnstone, Andrew Chin, Sanka Vidanagama, Carlos Avila Gonzalez, Josh Walet, Robert Nemeti, Jean, Christophe Bott, Max Slovencik, Alexey Malgavko, Luke Culver, Ian Forsyth, Robert F, Geoff Robins, Rich, Jan Reed, Patrick Pleul, Jenny Kane, Adam Vaughan, Jacob Anderson, Peter Byrne, Biden, it’s, Dr, Hakeem Oluseyi, Bill Nye, Guy, ”, “ Organizations: CNN, National Oceanic, Prediction, Midwest, Getty, San Francisco Chronicle, Keystone, AFP, Luke Culver People, Rockies, National Weather Service Locations: Alabama, Ohio, Pacific Northwest, North America, Gulf, ”, Sheffield, England, Manning, British Columbia, Christchurch , New Zealand, AFP, Berryessa , California, Aarlanderveen, Netherlands, Debrad, Slovakia, Anadolu, Le, Dessous, Switzerland, Vienna, Siberian, Tara, Russia's Omsk, Fort Lauderdale , Florida, Whitley Bay, Brunswick , Maine, London , Ontario, Ontario, Tennessee, Washington, Memphis , Tennessee, Rich Hill , Missouri, Brandenburg, Germany, Estacada , Oregon, Cumming , Georgia, Crosby , England, Edinburgh, Scotland, Crosby Beach, Liverpool, Texas, Coast, Sweden, South Africa, United States

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