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☆ After Help From Kenyan Police Is Blocked, Haitians Ask: What Now?
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Frances Robles | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Gangs have taken over entire neighborhoods in Haiti’s capital, and killings have more than doubled in the past year, but for the organizers of the Port-au-Prince Jazz Festival, the show simply had to go on. So while judges an ocean away deliberated whether to send a contingent of officers to pacify Haiti’s violence-riddled streets, festival organizers made do by shortening the length of the event to four days from eight, moving the acts from a public stage to a restricted hotel venue and replacing the handful of artists who canceled. As 11.5 million Haitians struggle to feed their families and ride the bus or go to work because they fear becoming the victims of gunmen or kidnappers, they also are pushing forward, struggling to reclaim a safe sense of routine — whether or not that comes with the assistance of international soldiers. “We need something normal,” said Miléna Sandler, the executive director of the Haiti Jazz Foundation, whose festival is taking place this weekend in Port-au-Prince, the capital. “We need elections.”

Persons: ”, Miléna Sandler Organizations: Prince Jazz Festival, Haiti Jazz Foundation Locations: Haiti’s, Port

☆ Mona Lisa splattered in soup at Louvre Museum in Paris by food protesters
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewTwo food protesters hurled soup at the world-famous Mona Lisa painting in the Paris Louvre Museum on Sunday. @CLPRESSFR pic.twitter.com/Aa7gavRRc4 — CLPRESS / Agence de presse (@CLPRESSFR) January 28, 2024The soup splattered onto the protective casing covering the painting. In 2022, a similar protest at the UK's National Gallery faced backlash when anti-oil protesters threw a can of tomato soup onto Van Gogh's "Sunflowers." AdvertisementThe Mona Lisa has been the target of other acts of protest and vandalism. In 1974, while it was being exhibited in Tokyo, a woman sprayed the Mona Lisa with red paint, the New York Times reported.

Persons: —, Mona Lisa, Leonardo da, @CLPRESSFR, museumgoers Organizations: Service, Paris Louvre Museum, Business, Agence de presse, New York Times Locations: Paris, Tokyo

A Kenyan court on Friday prohibited the deployment of 1,000 Kenyan police officers to Haiti, jeopardizing a multinational security force charged with stabilizing the chaos-hit Caribbean island nation before it even got off the ground. The force, which is backed by the United Nations and financed by the United States, had been stalled since October, when Kenyan opponents of the mission challenged it in court, calling it unconstitutional. “An order is issued prohibiting the deployment of Kenyan police officers to Haiti or any other country,” Justice Chacha Mwita said at the conclusion of a judgment that took 40 minutes to read. The international force was meant to help break the grip of the armed gangs that control most of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, and have turned Haiti into one of the world’s most dangerous nations. Haiti’s government has pleaded for foreign military forces to be sent in to restore order, but the United States and Canada have been unwilling to commit their own troops.

Persons: Chacha Mwita Organizations: Kenyan, United Nations Locations: Haiti, jeopardizing, United States, Port, Canada

☆ An Unlikely New Threat to Haiti’s Stability: An Armed Environmental Group
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Frances Robles | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In Haiti, as the number of murders soar and kidnappings rise, even the police are fleeing. With no elected president in office and a prime minister widely seen as illegitimate, calls for the government’s ouster are now being heard from an unlikely source: a brigade of armed officers ostensibly responsible for protecting environmentally sensitive areas. Armed uniformed members of the brigade clashed with government forces in northern Haiti this week, heightening tensions in an already volatile nation where gangs have seized control over large swaths of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and are wreaking havoc in rural areas. The environmental group, the Brigade for the Security of Protected Areas (known as B-SAP), became angry after the prime minister fired its leader. On Wednesday, the group’s officers attempted to invade the local customs office, and Haitian National Police units repelled them using tear gas.

Persons: Guy Philippe Organizations: Brigade, Haitian National Police Locations: Haiti, Port, U.S

DENVER (AP) — The American founder of a Haitian orphanage who had charges of sexual abuse against him dropped in the island nation was set to appear in federal court Thursday on new charges brought by U.S. authorities. He has not yet entered a plea, but has vehemently denied past accusations of sexual abuse that had been levied against him. Oberkoetter was not present at Monday's hearing but is scheduled to represent Geilenfeld virtually at future hearings, according to court records. At some point, Geilenfeld and a charity associated with the orphanage, Hearts for Haiti, sued Kendrick in federal court in Maine. At Monday's hearing, prosecutors were granted their request that Geilenfeld be kept in custody while the new case against him proceeds.

Persons: Michael Geilenfeld, Geilenfeld, Robert Oberkoetter, Oberkoetter, Paul Kendrick, Kendrick, ” Organizations: DENVER, U.S, Haiti “, Boys, Authorities, Haiti Locations: Haitian, Miami, Haiti, Florida, Colorado, Massachusetts, Maine, Port

☆ A Colorado pastor accused of pocketing $1.3 million in cryptocurrency scam says the Lord encouraged him to use funds for a home remodel
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Hannah Getahun | Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Regalado also said the Lord told him to use investor funds to remodel his home. Related stories"It was last October '21 that the Lord brought this cryptocurrency to me," Regalado told his congregation over video broadcast, per court documents. AdvertisementRegalado addressed why he valued the coins at 10 times the amount: The Lord told him to. I really believe you're going to see a miracle in very short order," Regalado told investors in a video call, per the lawsuit. The lawsuit claims the Regalados told investors they were sowing this money into charitable causes.

Persons: Eli Regalado, Regalado, —, Kaitlyn Regalado, Tung Chan, Chan, God, Kaitlyn, Grace, Regalados, INDXcoin, …, David Goldberg Organizations: Service, Court, Colorado Securities, Colorado Department of Regulatory, IRS, Business, Wealth, Wealth Exchange, Rover Locations: Colorado, Denver, INDXcoin

☆ Asia markets largely set to rise ahead of trade and factory activity data from Japan
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

A flag of Japan flies near cargo containers at Tokyo's Odaiba Waterfront on August 6, 2020. Asia-Pacific markets are largely set to rise as investors monitor economic data out of Japan as well as factory activity data from Australia. Japan will release its December trade data and see private surveys from the au Jibun bank on its January purchasing managers index, a day after the Bank of Japan left its monetary policy unchanged. Australia also saw flash PMI surveys from Juno Bank, which showed an expansion in manufacturing activity in January after 11 straight months of contraction. Business activity in the country also saw a softer contraction in January compared to December.

Organizations: Bank of Japan, Juno Bank Locations: Japan, Asia, Pacific, Australia

☆ Alphabet cuts ties with Australian AI firm that helped train Bard and Google Search
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Hayden Field | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai departs federal court on October 30, 2023 in Washington, DC. Appen, based in Australia, has helped train AI models for a star-studded list of tech behemoths. Five customers — Microsoft , Apple , Meta , Google and Amazon — have in the past accounted for 80% of Appen's revenue. Alphabet accounted for roughly one-third of Appen's revenue, meaning the decision to end the relationship will impact "at least two thousand subcontracted Alphabet workers," according to a statement Monday from the Alphabet Workers Union. Alphabet has cut contractual ties with Appen , the artificial intelligence data firm that helped train Google's chatbot Bard, Google Search results and other AI products.

Persons: Sundar Pichai, Pichai, Appen, Bard, Appen's, OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Bard, didn't, Bard chatbot Organizations: Google, Microsoft, Apple, Alphabet Workers, Appen, Revenue, Australian Securities Exchange, CNBC, Adobe, Nvidia, U.S . National Labor Relations Board Locations: Washington ,, Australia

☆ Haiti's Police Force Shrinks Amid Gang Crisis -Union
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Police need significantly higher incentives to justify the dangers, the report said, amid a shrinking force and lack of equipment, training and infrastructure. Lazarre said the situation was difficult but police had made progress, recovering control of six neighborhoods and coming close to recovering another. Last November, the United Nations estimated some 3,960 had been killed through the year and 2,951 kidnapped. Haiti's government called for international reinforcements in October 2022 and the United Nations ratified sending a force composed of voluntary contributions late last year. Haiti's armed forces were disbanded in 1995 and reinstated in 2017, but the national police remains the main security force.

Persons: Lionel Lazarre, Lazarre, It's, Ariel Henry's, Harold Isaac, Sarah Morland, Stephen Coates Organizations: PORT, Reuters, Police, United Nations Locations: Kenya, Caribbean, Port, Mexico City

☆ My great-uncle was 70 years older than me. We built a friendship by sending letters to each other.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Rosalind Moran | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Despite being separated by oceans and years, my great-uncle became a dear friendMy great-uncle was born in 1921, meaning we had an age gap of over 70 years. As someone who also loves languages, writing, and talking to many different people, his undimmed intellectual curiosity proved inspiring to me. An additional ongoing gift from my friendship with my great-uncle is that of writing letters. Since writing to him and realizing how differently — and beautifully — people sometimes express themselves in long-form handwriting, I began writing letters to friends and receiving letters in turn. Some of my friendships now have a precious quality they potentially wouldn't otherwise have were it not for letters.

Persons: —, hadn't, Tolstoy Locations: Cornwall, England, Canberra, Australia, Italy, Europe, Cambridge

☆ Pope Francis Calls for Release of Nuns, Other Hostages Kidnapped in Haiti
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Sunday called for the release of hostages, including six nuns, who were kidnapped on a bus in Haiti on Friday, and said he was praying for social harmony in the country. Armed gunmen hijacked a bus in Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince with at least six nuns on board and drove off to an unknown destination taking all passengers hostage, Vatican News reported on Saturday, citing the Haitian Conference of Religious group. "I have learned with sorrow of the kidnapping, in Haiti, of a group of people, including six religious sisters", Pope Francis said after his weekly Angelus prayer. The violence comes ahead of a court decision expected on Jan. 26 on a Kenyan-led multinational force to address gang violence in the country, one of the poorest in the Western Hemisphere. (Reporting by Gianluca Semeraro; Editing by Conor Humphries)

Persons: Pope Francis, Ariel Henry, Gianluca Semeraro, Conor Humphries Organizations: VATICAN CITY, Vatican, Haitian, Religious, Kenyan Locations: Haiti, Port

The U.S. Department of Defense plans to install two more groundwater treatment systems at a former Michigan military base to control contamination from so-called forever chemicals, U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin's office announced Friday. The base closed in 1993 as part of a base realignment. Pentagon documents show at least 385 military bases nationwide are contaminated with PFAS, mostly from firefighting foam used during training. DOD records released in 2021 showed PFAS had been detected in groundwater around Wurtsmith at levels up to 213,000 parts per trillion. Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesThe Department of Defense announced in August that it would install two groundwater treatment systems near the base.

Persons: Elissa Slotkin's, PFAS, ” Slotkin, “, Tony Spaniola Organizations: U.S . Department of Defense, . Rep, Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Pentagon, Clarks, Department of Defense, Action Locations: Michigan, Clarks, Oscoda, Lake Huron, Wurtsmith

☆ I prefer au pair care over any other form of childcare. Here's why.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Danielle Campoamor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

She hired an au pair for the first time when her kids were 2 and 4 years old. Finding the perfect au pair is a lot like online dating. In the end — as two people new to the au pair matching process — we simply went with our gut. AdvertisementI didn't have to teach our au pair how to care for my childrenLuckily, we struck out — our family's first au pair ended up being amazing. AdvertisementOur first au pair is getting married this year, and our family is flying out for her wedding.

Persons: —, Denaye, they're, We're, Taylor Organizations: Service Locations: Texas, New York, Warsaw, Poland

SYDNEY (AP) — An Australian task force devoted to stopping illegal reptile exports announced the disruption of a “cold-blooded and cruel” criminal group allegedly trying to send AU$1.2 million ($808,000) worth of highly-sought native lizards and other reptiles from Sydney to Hong Kong. The Whyaratta Strike Force, part of the anti-biker Raptor Squad, said that four people have been charged over the alleged plot to hide hundreds of the bound reptiles in small chip packets and handbags. Police released 257 reptiles, mostly lizards, New South Wales state Police Force said in a statement Monday. The rescued reptiles were handed to various zoos and wildlife parks to be examined by veterinarians before being released into the wild, police said. They have been charged with various offenses relating to the alleged smuggling operation.

Persons: —, Andrew Koutsoufis Organizations: SYDNEY, Whyaratta, Force, Raptor, Police Force, Police Locations: Australian, Sydney, Hong Kong, New South Wales

☆ Panera founder says one of his biggest regrets is not firing people faster — and he's even received thank-you's afterward
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-26 | by ( Kylie Kirschner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Panera founder Ron Shaich says that he regrets not firing more people faster. Shaich writes in his book that he's even received thank-you letters from people he's fired. "I was too wrapped up in being a caring leader," Shaich says in his book. "And radical honesty is a much greater service to people than simply being kind," Shaich writes. Though firing an employee or colleague is unlikely to be particularly pleasant, Shaich says that he's actually received thank-you letters from people he's fired over the years.

Persons: Ron Shaich, Shaich, he's, — Organizations: Service

File photo: A person holds a photo of late Haitian President Jovenel Moise, who was shot dead earlier this month, during his funeral at his family home in Cap-Haitien, Haiti, July 23, 2021. Vincent was arrested days after the attack alongside another Haitian-American, James Solages. At these meetings, the filing said, Vincent often wore a U.S. State Department pin leading people to believe he was employed by the U.S. government. Jaar and Rivera were both sentenced to life in prison, while John is expected to be sentenced on Dec. 19. Reporting by Sarah Morland and Kylie Madry; Editing by Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jovenel Moise, Ricardo Arduengo, Joseph Vincent, Vincent, Jovenel Moise's, Prince, James Solages, Solages, Christian Sanon's, Moise, Vincent's, Joseph Joel John, German Rivera, Rodolphe Jaar, Jaar, Rivera, John, Sarah Morland, Kylie Madry, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S . State Department, U.S ., Thomson Locations: Cap, Haitien, Haiti, U.S, American, Colombian, Florida, Haitian, Chilean

☆ An airline passenger was escorted away by police after sparking a fight in the aisle and 'demanding drinks' from flight attendants
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Scoot passenger was "demanding drinks" and ranting for "hours," per The West Australian. AdvertisementA man was escorted by police from a Scoot flight on Friday after fighting with another passenger in the aisle, The West Australian first reported. The man who's filming says he's going to record an "ass whooping" before the man challenges him to a "one-on-one, right now" and slaps him. The incident took place when the Scoot flight from Singapore landed in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, per The West Australian. The West Australian reported that the man had "demanded drinks" from flight attendants and had been ranting for "hours" before the fight.

Persons: —, Scoot Organizations: West Australian, Service, West, The West Australian Locations: Perth, Australia, Singapore, Manila, Philippines

☆ Panera Bread reportedly files to go public again through IPO
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Panera Bread has confidentially filed to go public again, the Financial Times reported. The restaurant chain, known for its soups, sandwiches and bagels, has been signaling for months that it's looking to go public through an initial public offering. In May, Panera announced a CEO transition and said the leadership changes were "in preparation for its eventual IPO" — amid a two-year IPO drought that ended in the fall. Mediterranean restaurant chain Cava , whose chair is Panera founder Ron Shaich, was among the trickle of companies that went public this year. JAB also tried to take Panera public again that year.

Persons: Panera, Ron Shaich, Panera isn't, Shein confidentially, Skims, Danny Meyer's Organizations: Financial Times, Investors, Bloomberg, CNBC, Yum Brands, Panera's, Financial, CNBC PRO Locations: Cava, Rye

☆ Asia factory activity weakens, uncertainty on China clouds outlook
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

An employee works on a production line manufacturing steel structures at a factory in Huzhou, Zhejiang province, China May 17, 2020. The data shows that factories are producing less and hiring fewer people," Dan Wang, chief economist at Hang Seng Bank China, said of China's PMI readings, which have different samples. Export-reliant Japan, South Korea and Taiwan bore the brunt of sluggish global demand with their manufacturing activity remaining stagnant in November, surveys showed. Japan's final au Jibun Bank manufacturing PMI fell to 48.3 in November from 48.7 in October, shrinking at the fastest pace in nine months. Manufacturing activity also shrank in Taiwan, Vietnam and Malaysia, but expanded in Indonesia and the Philippines, the surveys showed.

Persons: Dan Wang, Toru Nishihama, Leika Kihara, Jamie Freed Organizations: REUTERS, PMI, Korea Soft, P Global, Hang Seng Bank, Dai, Research, Jibun Bank, Research Institute, Thomson Locations: Huzhou, Zhejiang province, China, Japan, S, TOKYO, Europe, United States, Hang Seng Bank China, South Korea, Taiwan, Asia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines

☆ Panera founder says the idea of 'swashbuckling' entrepreneurs finding success from taking big risks is 'a myth'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( Kylie Kirschner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Panera founder Ron Shaich says that successful entrepreneurs are opportunists, not risk-takers. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . "The swashbuckling entrepreneur of popular imagination is just a myth and rarely succeeds," Shaich writes in his new book, "Know What Matters: Lessons from a Lifetime of Transformations." Shaich uses this anecdote to point toward what he calls a "misunderstood fact about successful entrepreneurs and creators." "Successful entrepreneurs and creators seeing can feel this opportunity that nobody else can," Shaich says.

Persons: Ron Shaich, Shaich, —, Bon, that's, it's Organizations: Service, Harvard

☆ Panera's founder once threw a loaf of bread at his executive's head as an 'unconventional' management tactic
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( Kylie Kirschner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Panera founder and ex-CEO Ron Shaich once threw a baguette at an executive's head in frustration. Shaich told Insider he was trying to point out issues the company was having with its bread quality. Shaich told Business Insider in an interview that the target of the thrown loaf was the company's COO at the time, Mark Borland — who Shaich also said was his close friend. Advertisement"It was in a real meeting, a couple hundred — like 250 people in the room" Shaich told BI. Shaich cofounded Au Bon Pain, of which Panera Bread became a division, in 1981.

Persons: Ron Shaich, Shaich, —, Elon, Ray Dalio, Mark Borland —, Panera, Borland Organizations: Service

☆ Au Revoir, Au Pairs
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Kristina Rasmussen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Seeking safety and opportunity in America, she applied for and was accepted into the U.S. au pair program, lived with us for two years and learned to love this country. The State Department essentially wants to end the au pair program, which connects more than 21,000 foreigners with American families a year. The forthcoming mandate would require employers to treat au pairs more like traditional employees, though the program was designed to combine cultural exchange and child care. Families currently can pay an au pair a weekly stipend of about $200 and pitch in for things like college tuition. An au pair can cost as little as $20,000, a bargain compared with other child-care options for families with several kids.

Persons: Liza, Biden, finalizes Organizations: State Department Locations: Ukraine, Russia, America, U.S

☆ Japan's factory activity shrinks for 6th month on weak demand - PMI
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The au Jibun Bank flash Japan manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) slipped to 48.1 in November from 48.7 in October. "Demand conditions at private sector firms remained muted in November and were little-changed from October." The au Jibun Bank flash services PMI stood at 51.7 in November, little changed from 51.6 in October, showing modest expansion in the sector, but it was the second-weakest reading so far this year. Firms stayed confident about the business activity outlook for one year ahead, the survey said. The au Jibun Bank Flash Japan composite PMI, which combines both manufacturing and service sector activity, stood at 50.0 in November from 50.5 in October.

Persons: Toru Hanai, Usamah Bhatti, Kaori Kaneko, Kim COghill Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, P Global Market Intelligence, PMI, Firms, Jibun Bank Flash Japan, Thomson Locations: Kawasaki, Japan

Commercial and residential buildings at dusk in the Minato district of Tokyo, Japan, on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. Asia-Pacific markets are largely set for a stronger open as investors assess key economic data out from Japan on Friday. The world's third largest economy saw its core inflation rate rise to 2.9% in October, higher than the 2.8% seen in September. The country will also expect flash estimates for its November factory activity from the au Jibun bank.

Locations: Minato, Tokyo, Japan, Asia, Pacific

☆ Haiti Human Rights Group Suspends Operations After Threats
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) - Haiti's Center for Human Rights Analysis and Research (CARDH) is provisionally suspending its work due to imminent danger to its staff, its executive director said on Thursday, as gang wars escalate in parts of the capital Port-au-Prince. The United States and Canada have sanctioned several politicians and businessmen accused of helping finance gangs. CARDH has published reports on the living conditions of people displaced by the gang wars, suspected gang members being lynched by vigilante "Bwa Kale" groups, killings of police officers and assessments of foreign sanctions. It has also quantified the rise of what it calls a kidnapping "industry" under which gangs use extreme violence and torture to extract ransoms from families. (Reporting by Sarah Morland in Mexico City and Harold Isaac in Port-au-Prince; Editing by Bill Berkrot)

Persons: Prince, Gedeon Jean, Jean, CARDH, Sarah Morland, Harold Isaac, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Reuters, Haiti's, for Human, Cite Soleil, United Nations, West Department Locations: Haiti, United States, Canada, Artibonite, Mexico City, Port

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