Free Malaysia Today
중도 성향
기타
Bukit Gantang MP mulls defending seat as independent in GE16
Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal says a final decision would only be made after assessing the political situation, which he describes as unstable.
"ASSESSING" · 총 40건
필터 보기현재 지수
50.3
0 = 부정 우세
50 = 중립
100 = 긍정 우세
최근 7일 기준 82,909건을 분석한 결과, 뉴스 심리지수는 50.2(균형)입니다. 긍정 4,113건(5.0%)·중립 76,837건(92.7%)·부정 1,959건(2.4%)이며, 중립 비중이 뚜렷하게 높습니다. 성향 지수는 종합 14.7(중도 균형)입니다.
Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal says a final decision would only be made after assessing the political situation, which he describes as unstable.
LONGVIEW, Wash: From his living room window, Washington state Sen. Jeff Wilson can see the paper mill where a chemical tank ruptured this week in Longview, killing 11 people. He used to perform work there as the owner of an environmental cleanup company, and when he heard the sirens go past, he called his son, who works on the larger industrial site, to make sure he was safe."I personally have been inside that tank and near that tank many times," said Wilson, who has lived in Longview for 56 years. "I can assure you that we all know somebody there. ... The casualties are our friends and neighbors."The tank, which contained more than 500,000 gallons (1.9 million liters) of a mixture used to break down wood for making paper, collapsed Tuesday morning at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. The rupture expelled a flood of caustic chemicals powerful enough to overturn pickup trucks and damage buildings at the site.Also Read: Six dead, several injured as part of under-construction bridge collapses in Uttar PradeshThe chemical disaster, one of the deadliest U.S. workplace accidents in recent decades, has struck at the heart of a community where generations of families have worked in local mills. Longview itself was founded by a timber baron to support the first mills established there, and over its roughly century-long history, residents' lives have become intertwined with the lumber and paper industries.Supporting victims and worrying about the futureAmid immediate concern about supporting grieving families, there is also worry about what the accident could mean for the future of the plant: It provides crucial jobs in an industry that once powered the forested region but has dwindled in recent decades.The plant's parent company, Tokyo-based Nippon Paper Group, said in a statement that it was assessing the accident's impact on its financial performance."Last night at the vigils, people who work in mills told me that they're proud of their jobs and they're proud of their work, and they don't want to lose it," U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, whose district includes Longview, told reporters Wednesday.Residents who spoke with The Associated Press similarly highlighted how important those jobs are for the city."If you're a waitress, a grocery store worker, a teacher, a paraeducator as I was for 30 years - every walk of life here knows somebody and is related to somebody from these mills," Cindy Stiebritz said in the antiques store where she volunteers.Generations in the millsStiebritz said her husband's parents met while working at the lumber company owned by the city's founder, Robert A. Long."Those mills, that is the backbone of this town," Stiebritz added. "You feel like you've lost part of your family."Longview's industrial zone lies along the Columbia River and hosts timber, paper and chemical businesses. Many residents in the city of nearly 40,000 can see the facilities or the steam from the boilers from their homes, or smell the sulfuric odor of the pulp and paper industry.The city's mill history is also imprinted on its downtown, where R. A. Long Square serves as a central landmark and gathering place, including for the vigil held after the disaster. A park around a man-made lake, another project of Long, features a burst of greenery where pedestrians enjoy its walking paths or the nearby tree-lined streets.Authorities said the cause of the tank's collapse is still under investigation. The facility, which dates to 1953 and employs about 1,000 people, makes material for tissues, printing paper, cups, plates, cartons and other goods.According to fundraisers organized for the victims' families, those who lost their lives include a grandfather who was always willing to help anyone; two brothers, one of whom was the sole provider for his partner and three children; and a husband who left behind two children and a wife with a baby on the way.Brianna Pesio, a server at the Mill City Grill downtown, said her father has worked at the plant for over 30 years. She described the fear Tuesday morning when her brother, who works at the lumber mill next door, told her he couldn't get a hold of him."I just didn't know if I lost my dad or not," said Pesio, whose husband also works in a paper mill. "I drove over to my dad's house and pounded on his door until he did wake up. He had just gotten off shift at 5 a.m."At the nearby Country Folks Deli, longtime server Gayle Leavitt said her in-laws also worked at the mill for decades, adding: "That's how this town has survived."'This is not the virtual world'Officials representing the area echoed the pride residents take in the mills and the economic importance of their good-paying jobs in a region where other areas have been hit hard by the decline of the timber industry."This is a place where real people make real things. This is not the virtual world," state Rep. Jim Walsh said at a news conference at the plant on Tuesday. "Real things and real industry always carries risks. But it's our job to make sure that risk like this is well managed and, to the extent it can be, controlled."Stiebritz, the antiques shop volunteer, said she hopes authorities find out the cause "so it never happens again.""If anything comes out of it, I hope lives can be saved," she said, tearing up as she thought of the children who have lost their parents."This town is family. It's one big family," she added. "But we'll make it though. We're strong. We've got a lot of love."
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin is assessing damage to its launch pad after a rocket exploded during a test firing, creating a giant orange fireball seen and felt for miles around. The company fueled the massive New Glenn rocket Thursday night, hoping to briefly ignite the engines ahead of a satellite […]
A new South Carolina act will exempt some heirs’ property owners from increased property taxes In a move that protects vulnerable people from forced property sales, South Carolina recently enacted an act that could help families keep land that has been passed down for generations. The Heirs’ Property Tax Relief Act, signed into law by Henry McMaster, the state’s governor, on 15 May, prevents counties from reassessing property values when heirs clear their property titles, or resolve disputes about the ownership. The act allows families with heirs’ properties – land inherited by multiple owners who are not listed on the title – to transfer the title between family members without their real estate taxes increasing. Gullah Geechee people, the descendants of formerly enslaved west Africans who retained their culture and customs, are especially vulnerable to heirs’ property issues. They can lead to their homes being sold at annual auctions for delinquent tax payments, predatory development and interfamily fighting. Continue reading...
Country: Moldova Source: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Please refer to the attached file. Description The late-May 2026 floods were one of Moldova’s sharpest localized hydrometeorological shocks in recent months, with Călărași and Ungheni identified by the government as the most affected districts after the torrential rains of 22 May. The damage profile was dominated by flooded households, damaged roads, pressure on dams and lakes, disrupted rail traffic, and agricultural losses. The human impact was serious but uneven: the confirmed district-level reporting shows at least one death in Călărași, multiple rescue operations, households inundated in both districts, and preventive evacuation planning for additional residents at risk. As of 28 May 2026, authorities were still assessing total monetary losses, so the available picture is operational and preliminary rather than final. The heavy precipitation led to rapid water level rises in rivers, streams, and artificial reservoirs, resulting in multiple cascading impacts: Dam and embankment failures, including a reported rupture of a local dam in Hîrjauca (Călărași district), which caused sudden downstream flooding. Overflow and flooding of lakes and ponds, raising concerns about inadequate maintenance and compliance with safety standards for water basins. Flash floods affecting rural settlements, with water entering households, agricultural land, and public infrastructure. Transport disruption, including blocked roads and temporarily halted rail traffic in affected zones. Power outages and preventive disconnections in several villages due to safety risks. Soil erosion, mudflows, and damage to agricultural assets, including greenhouses and crops. The combination of saturated soils and high runoff intensity significantly amplified the destructive capacity of the floods. The strongest cross-source figures available so far show that across the wider affected zone of Călărași, Strășeni, Ungheni, and Criuleni, the floods damaged or inundated 25 localities, affected 69 households, threatened around 400 households, flooded about 400 hectares of farmland, and damaged 55 km of roads. These are important numbers because they come from the crisis-management structure after the first response phase, so they likely reflect a more consolidated operational picture than the first-night reports. However, they are not yet final compensation figures. What happened The triggering event was the 22 May storm system, which brought torrential rain, strong winds, and major water accumulation. Moldova’s authorities shifted into crisis mode, with emergency teams, police, road services, rail services, and local authorities deployed to pump water, reinforce dikes, reopen transport links, and secure high-risk areas. The government explicitly said that Călărași and Ungheni were the hardest-hit districts. gov.md IGSU The disaster affected dozens of localities across at least two key districts, with secondary impacts reported in neighboring areas. Călărași: damage analysis Călărași appears to have suffered the most intense direct household and infrastructure shock. The immediate crisis was tied to dam failure/partial rupture, especially around Hîrjauca and Mîndra, where multiple reports say over 40 households were affected. Radio Moldova also reported that in Mîndra six households were completely destroyed, while many courtyards, wells, and agricultural plots were flooded. Local officials further said that in some mayoralties 70–80% of infrastructure was affected, with bridges and local transport links damaged. Radio Moldova Radio Moldova Human impact in Călărași was severe. The government confirmed the death of a 48-year-old man in Dereneu, linked to the flooding and heavy rains. Residents were trapped in houses and vehicles, and emergency services prepared for wider preventive evacuation around Bularda/Hîrbovăț if dikes failed. One operational report noted preparations for possible evacuation of over 20 households, while a TVR Moldova report said a field camp was readied for more than 200 people in case conditions worsened. Persons at the “Codru” sanatorium were also evacuated preventively. From an analytical perspective, Călărași’s vulnerability was not just rainfall intensity. It was the combination of intense runoff, small-basin/dam failure, and cascade effects from connected lakes and drainage channels. That made the district especially prone to sudden, high-energy flooding that damaged homes, roads, yards, wells, and local agricultural assets rather than only causing shallow standing water. Ungheni: damage analysis Ungheni’s impact pattern looks broader geographically but somewhat less concentrated in destroyed homes than Călărași, at least from the public reporting now available. The government said 11 localities in Ungheni district were affected. Emergency reports and media coverage describe flooded households and basements, people stranded in vehicles or on rooftops, and drainage work in both rural settlements and the town. The key infrastructure signal in Ungheni was instability around water bodies and transport links. In Rădenii Vechi, landslides damaged two bridges in Novaia Nicolaevca. Authorities also reported an alarming situation at Lake Delia, which had accumulated water from failed upstream basins, while controlled water release operations took place near Mănoilești and Cornova to reduce pressure. Floodwater was also removed from multiple households, basements, and a kindergarten in Ungheni. Ungheni was also significant in the rescue and transport-disruption dimension. Multiple calls for help were recorded there, including incidents with people trapped in vehicles and on rooftops. Rail disruption near Pârlița temporarily stopped the Chișinău–Kyiv train with 142 passengers, illustrating that the flood impact extended beyond houses into inter-district mobility and economic connectivity. Key human impact indicators include: The public reporting allows a careful estimate of population impact, but not yet a precise district-by-district headcount. What is solid: - 69 households were actually affected across the four main districts. Moldpres - More than 400 households were considered at risk, but authorities say they were protected through dike reinforcement and drainage operations. Moldpres - In Călărași, over 40 households were flooded in Hîrjauca and Mîndra, and more than 20 households were under evacuation contingency in Bularda/Hîrbovăț. Radio Moldova Moldpres - In Ungheni, 11 localities were affected, with flooded households, a kindergarten, damaged bridges, and multiple rescue incidents. What remains uncertain: - There is no finalized official headcount of people directly affected in Călărași and Ungheni alone. - There is also no final published monetary damage estimate yet. - One media roundup referred to two deaths across Călărași and Ungheni, but the clearest official district-level confirmation currently available is one death in Dereneu, Călărași. Based on household estimates and rural population density, the directly affected population is estimated at several hundred people, while the indirectly affected population (service disruption, mobility constraints, power outages, and economic losses) likely extends to several thousand residents across the two districts. Casualties and Vulnerable Groups At least one fatality was reported in Călărași district (Dereneu village) as a result of flooding-related incidents. Preventive evacuations were conducted, including from areas near the Codru sanatorium, to avoid loss of life. Vulnerable groups include rural households, elderly populations in isolated villages, and communities located near water basins and low-lying river valleys. The main analytical conclusion is that Călărași suffered the more destructive household and infrastructure blow, while Ungheni experienced wider spatial disruption and acute water-management stress, especially around lakes, slopes, and transport corridors. This distinction matters for recovery planning: Călărași needs more household reconstruction and local infrastructure repair, while Ungheni may need stronger slope stability, drainage, and basin management measures. Why these floods were so damaging The event shows a classic compound local flood pattern: Short, intense rainfall Overflow and failure pressure on ponds/dikes Cascade effects between connected basins Localized flash flooding in villages Secondary impacts on roads, rail, wells, and farmland That combination explains why relatively small localities could suffer disproportionate destruction. In other words, this was not only a “rain event”; it was a water-retention and drainage system stress event. Authorities at national and local levels activated emergency mechanisms: Deployment of emergency response teams, firefighters, police, and road services. Continuous water pumping, reinforcement of embankments, and clearance of blocked infrastructure. High-level field visits by government officials, with ongoing coordination between ministries. Ongoing damage assessment processes, as many impacts remain under evaluation due to receding waters. The situation remains dynamic, with residual risks linked to: further rainfall forecasts, saturated ground conditions, structural vulnerabilities of water retention infrastructure. On 26 May 2026, the leadership of the Red Cross Society of Moldova (MRCS), together with regional directors from affected districts, conducted a field visit toCălărași district, one of the areas most severely impacted by recent flooding caused by heavy rainfall. The mission aimed to assess field conditions, identify urgent community needs, and determine appropriate humanitarian support. In Dereneu village, discussions with local authorities focused on flood impacts, damage to households, and coordination of emergency response efforts. The MRCS team also met with a bereaved family affected by the disaster to express institutional solidarity and assess immediate support needs. In the Bularda area, the delegation met with GIES (IGSU) emergency responders engaged in flood protection works, including embankment reinforcement using sandbags and the creation of diversion channels. The team also reviewed ongoing emergency infrastructure measures and identified operational needs for responders and affected communities. In Mândra village, field visits to affected households were carried out in coordination with social workers to assess urgent humanitarian needs, including material assistance and psychosocial support for vulnerable families. MRCS reaffirmed its continued presence in the affected areas and its commitment to provide humanitarian assistance, psychosocial support, and coordination with local authorities. The organization emphasized its role in strengthening local response capacity and community resilience in line with its humanitarian mandate. By 27–28 May, authorities indicated that the immediate flood danger had been reduced through dike strengthening, pumping, and controlled drainage, but the recovery phase was only beginning. The local emergency commissions were still inventorying losses, and support from local budgets plus central government top-ups was being considered. That means the current picture is best read as initial impact analysis, not a completed loss-and-needs assessment. Călărași and Ungheni were the epicenter of Moldova’s May 2026 flood emergency. Călărași suffered the heaviest direct destruction to homes and local infrastructure, including dam-related flooding and at least one confirmed death. Ungheni experienced widespread multi-locality flooding, bridge damage, water-basin instability, and transport disruption. The total economic loss is still being assessed, but the event already shows a major combined impact on households, roads, farmland, and local resilience. Request For Assistance Government Requests International Assistance: Yes NS Requests International Assistance: No Information Bulletin Published No Actions taken by National Society General Damage/Needs assessment Relief/Supply distribution Psychosocial support services Summary Since the onset of the flooding emergency, the Red Cross Society of Moldova (MRCS) has been actively engaged in field presence, coordination, and rapid needs identification in the most affected districts, including Călărași and Ungheni. During the latest field engagement, MRCS leadership and regional teams conducted on-site visits to affected communities to assess humanitarian needs, strengthen coordination with local authorities and emergency services, and identify priority support areas. Special attention was given to severely affected households, vulnerable families, and cases requiring immediate assistance, including psychosocial support. Based on ongoing assessments, MRCS is preparing targeted assistance for approximately 200 affected households, including the provision of non-food items (NFIs), basic household support, and tailored assistance packages (PFA) where required for the most vulnerable cases. In parallel, the National Society has reinforced coordination with all relevant decision-making actors, including local public authorities, emergency response services, and social assistance structures, to ensure an integrated and timely response. MRCS remains actively present in the field and continues to adjust its response based on evolving needs, with a focus on humanitarian relief, psychosocial support, and strengthening local response capacities. Actions taken by others The Government of the Republic of Moldova is leading the emergency response through national and local authorities, with coordinated operational support on the ground. The General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (IGSU) has been actively deployed, carrying out evacuations, water pumping, installation of sandbag barriers, and reinforcement of flood protection infrastructure in affected areas. The Ministry of Environment, the State Hydrometeorological Service, and the “Apele Moldovei” Administration have provided technical monitoring, hydrological updates, and support for water management interventions. Local authorities in Călărași and Ungheni are coordinating local response efforts, including damage reporting, community support, and identification of affected households. No large-scale UN emergency deployment has been reported at this stage, while coordination with humanitarian partners and local actors remains ongoing within existing national response mechanisms.
A series of large-scale strikes by the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) on Bryansk, Moscow, Perm, Tuapse, and many other targets deep inside Russia has left a clear impression: Kyiv’s long-range campaign is hitting harder than it used to. The images are certainly vivid: “oil rain” blanketing an entire city, a mass drone raid on Russia’s capital, and refineries under near constant attack. Despite all this activity, however, it’s hard to tell whether anything has changed in Ukraine’s strategy. Assessing the frequency and effectiveness of the strikes is challenging — both Moscow and Kyiv conceal their real losses and exaggerate the impact of their own strikes. The available sources that offer a reliable picture of the long-range war’s progress are few and far between. Meduza examines what we can confirm under these conditions.
K Sangma said the state government is carefully assessing the legal framework
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is said to be assessing what a long-term response could require
Country: Uganda Source: World Health Organization **Brazzaville, Kampala, Lomé—**The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa, in collaboration with ministries of health, partner hospitals, and with support from Irish Aid, organized a series of regional training-of-trainers sessions to strengthen hospital care for severe acute malnutrition (SAM) with medical complications. These training courses form part of the implementation of WHO’s updated 2023 recommendations on the prevention and management of SAM and nutritional edema in children under 5 years. They are based on revised WHO training modules (2025), aligned with the latest evidence, and integrate tools on quality of care, clinical management and support for patients and caregivers. In sub-Saharan Africa, malnutrition remains a major driver of child mortality, with waste being its deadliest form. According to the Joint Child Malnutrition Estimates (WHO, UNICEF, World Bank, 2025), 12.2 million children under 5 suffer from SAM worldwide, nearly a quarter of them in Africa—around 3 million children. Faced with this heavy burden, training of health workers is essential to ensure quality, standardized and evidence-based hospital care that can significantly improve treatment and save children’s lives. “This training highlights the critical importance of ensuring quality hospital care for children suffering from malnutrition and addresses a key need: supporting countries in applying standardized protocols and continuously improving care quality to save lives,” said Dr Eugénie Niane, Technical Officer for Nutrition and Food Safety at WHO Madagascar. The sessions combined theoretical and practical approaches, including case studies, simulations, facilitation exercises and supervised clinical placements in hospitals. This integrated approach strengthened clinical skills in assessing, diagnosing and managing SAM complications; improved therapeutic feeding practices and clinical monitoring; promoted caregiver involvement; and introduced continuous quality improvement methods. “This training reminded us of something powerful: Africa has the expertise, passion and determination needed to change the narrative of child survival on the continent,” said Dr Joy Odhiambo, Child Health Specialist at Kenya’s Ministry of Health. She emphasized that every health worker trained through this initiative is now part of a broader movement to protect the future of African children. Participants were also prepared to become national trainers, able to replicate the training in their own countries, thereby contributing to sustainable health system strengthening and continuous improvement of nutritional care. According to Dr John Makengo Mafuila Adjukula, Head of Monitoring and Evaluation at the National Nutrition Programme in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a new regional dynamic is underway: “We are now well equipped to replicate the same training in our countries and serve as champions in health facilities to strengthen the management of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition with medical complications.” The training was delivered in two phases: online and in-person. The online preparatory phase took place from 27 April to 1 May 2026, involving 12 countries. It was followed by two in-person sessions: in Kampala, Uganda (4–9 May 2026) for English-speaking countries (Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, South Sudan and Uganda), and in Lomé, Togo (18–23 May 2026) for French-speaking countries (Burkina Faso, Madagascar, Niger, Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad and Togo). These 12 countries, heavily affected by child malnutrition, benefit from WHO’s sustained support to adapt and implement national protocols aligned with international standards. Cross-country experience sharing proved particularly enriching and strengthened regional collaboration around quality of care. At the end of the training courses, participating countries developed national action plans to organize domestic trainings, reinforce mentorship and clinical supervision, improve quality of care in nutrition units and accelerate the implementation of national protocols aligned with WHO recommendations. Ultimately, this regional initiative is expected to improve the sustainability and quality of nutritional care services and accelerate the reduction of preventable deaths due to severe acute malnutrition among children in Africa. For Additional Information or to Request Interviews, Please contact: Collins Boakye-Agyemang Communications and marketing officer Tel: + 242 06 520 65 65 (WhatsApp) Email: boakyeagyemangc@who.int Kayi Lawson Communications Officer Regional Office for Africa Email: lawsonagbluluf@who.int
Investigators at the Don State Technical University (DSTU) have developed a method for assessing anxiety in dogs that could help pet owners distinguish between anxiety, fear and aggression.
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has ruled that family courts should not convert a wife’s suit for dissolution of marriage on grounds of cruelty into a decree of khula without her explicit and informed consent, particularly when valuable financial rights such as unpaid dower are involved. Authored by Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan on behalf of a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi, the observations came while hearing an appeal filed by Selab Akhtar against a decision of the Peshawar High Court that upheld concurrent findings of lower courts dissolving her marriage through khula and denying her full dower and past maintenance. “We hold,” the judgement said, “that khula should not ordinarily be granted without the wife’s consent or clear election where she had sued on grounds of cruelty and valuable financial rights were implicated.” However, where cruelty is not proved and marital life has manifestly collapsed, courts must give the wife an opportunity to choose whether to pursue dismissal of her claim or accept dissolution through khula upon lawful terms, rather than compelling restoration of a relationship that has effectively ceased to exist, Justice Hassan observed. Cautions against setting unrealistic standards for proof of cruelty, especially when unpaid dower is involved “The proper judicial course is neither to impose khula without consent nor to mechanically dismiss the matter while ignoring matrimonial breakdown,” the judgement emphasised. The dispute arose from a matrimonial case between Selab Akhtar and Quwat Khan. The couple married on Sept 19, 2016, in Swat’s Matta tehsil, where 30 tolas of gold were fixed as haq mehr. According to the petitioner, after marriage she was subjected by her husband and his family members to harsh treatment, coercion, humiliation, cruelty and mental torture, making continuation of matrimonial life impossible. She alleged she was expelled from the house without justification and denied maintenance. Consequently, she filed a suit before Judge Family Court-II, Swat, seeking dissolution of marriage on grounds of cruelty, recovery of 30 tolas of gold as dower or its market value, and maintenance allowance from the date of neglect until disposal of the suit. The principal question before the SC was whether a family court could dissolve a marriage through khula where the wife had sought dissolution on grounds of cruelty but failed to substantiate the allegations through legally admissible evidence, despite expressing unwillingness to continue the marriage. The court also examined whether such relief could be granted when no specific prayer for khula had been made and no express consent had been recorded. Justice Hassan observed that the controversy was not merely whether the marriage should stand dissolved, but the legal consequences flowing from a failed cruelty claim where the wife nevertheless refused to continue the marital bond. The verdict explained that where cruelty or statutory fault on the part of the husband is established, the wife ordinarily can’t be compelled to forfeit her dower merely to secure freedom from an oppressive union. In contrast, dissolution through khula ordinarily involves relinquishment or restitution of financial consideration, including dower to the extent recognised by law. The SC observed when a wife approaches the court alleging cruelty, she is effectively seeking a declaration that the husband’s conduct disentitles him from retaining reciprocal marital rights, including unpaid dower. “To convert such claim, without due regard to the nature of relief pursued, into one of khula may prejudice valuable financial rights,” it emphasised. At the same time, the court observed that judges cannot ignore situations where a marriage has irretrievably broken down in fact. If cohabitation has ceased, bitterness has deepened and the wife unequivocally refuses to resume marital life, the law cannot compel parties to continue a “dead relationship” merely in name. The judgement also criticised the approach adopted by subordinate courts in assessing allegations of cruelty. It noted that courts often insist on standards of proof ill-suited to the realities of matrimonial life, such as requiring independent eyewitnesses to domestic abuse, FIRs for confinement or medical certificates in every case of physical assault. “Such an approach overlooks that marriage is essentially a private relationship conducted within the walls of a home,” the judgement said, adding that women may seldom be in a position to procure independent witnesses to acts of humiliation, coercion, emotional torment or mental agony occurring within the domestic sphere. According to the verdict, matrimonial disputes should be decided on the civil standard of “preponderance of probabilities”, taking into account conduct of the parties, surrounding circumstances, consistency of versions and overall probabilities emerging from the record, rather than the strict proof required in criminal prosecutions. Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2026
Political parties are assessing the implications of the weekend's bye-election results, which saw the Social Democrats and Fine Gael gain Dáil seats, while Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil suffered disappointing performances.
Political parties are assessing the implications of weekend bye-election results, which saw the Social Democrats and Fine Gael gain Dáil seats, while Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil suffered disappointing performances.
Country: World Source: European Commission Please refer to the attached file. The purpose of this study is to evaluate DG ECHO’s approach to reducing the environmental footprint of humanitarian aid by assessing how this policy, and the Minimum Environmental Requirements (MER) developed as a result, have been applied across sectors and crisis contexts, how staff and partners have been supported to operationalise them, and what results have been achieved to date. The study covers DG ECHO-funded actions across all humanitarian sectors, disaster preparedness, as well as internal greening, and innovation and capacity-building supported through ERC funding. The methodology was designed in line with Better Regulation requirements and assessed relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, EU added value and sustainability. Evidence was drawn from a desk review, a portfolio analysis, key informant interviews, two online surveys, three regional case studies, and a validation workshop. The evaluation found that the Greening Policy is highly relevant and has raised environmental ambition, while increasing operational benefits. Implementation remains uneven across countries and crisis types, constrained by limited engagement, uneven leadership support, capacity gaps, short funding cycles and limited monitoring. In response, three strategic recommendations focus on strengthening DG ECHO’s internal enabling environment, scaling practical field support and capacity building, and improving monitoring for accountability and learning.
Official assessing formal complaint into Green party leader’s potential ‘breach of conduct’ as assembly member London assembly officials are weighing up whether to launch an investigation into Zack Polanski after he admitted he may have failed to pay the correct council tax while living on a houseboat in the capital. The Green party leader has faced questions over whether the houseboat, moored in east London, was his primary residence. A spokesperson for his party had described the situation as an “unintentional mistake” and said Polanski had “immediately taken steps” to pay any tax owed. Continue reading...
May 22 - An earthquake of magnitude 6.0 struck near Honaunau-Napoopoo on the Big Island of Hawaii late on Friday and the state's volcano observatory was assessing the Kilauea volcano, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said.
The earthquake was felt widely on the islands of Hawaii, Maui, and Oahu and was at a depth of about 14 miles, according to USGS.
Three days into the Iran war, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the quiet part out loud: The Revolutionary Guard’s Qods Force has long carried out plots around the world and now intended to deploy those capabilities against the U.S. homeland. The United States, a Qods Force statement carried on Iranian television warned, “will no longer be safe” as the Qods Force targets Americans within the homeland and abroad. “The enemy should know that their happy days are over and they will no longer be safe anywhere in the world, not even in their own homes.” U.S. authorities went on a nationwide high alert The post Between Intent and Capability: Assessing the Lack of Iranian Attacks on the U.S. Homeland appeared first on War on the Rocks.
Laboratory or in-field measurements are often considered the gold standard for certain aspects of power system design; however, measurement approaches always have limitations. Simulation can help overcome some of these limitations, including speeding up the design process, reducing design costs, and assessing situations that are often not feasible to measure directly. In this presentation, we will discuss two examples from the power system industry. The first case we will discuss involves corona performance testing of high-voltage transmission line hardware. Corona-free insulator hardware performance is critical for operation of transmission lines, particularly at 500 kV, 765 kV, or higher voltages. Laboratory mockups are commonly used to prove corona performance, but physical space constraints usually restrict testing to a partial single-phase setup. This requires establishing equivalence between the laboratory setup and real-world three-phase conditions. In practice, this can be difficult to do, but modern simulation capabilities can help. The second case involves submarine HVDC cables, which are commonly used for offshore wind interconnects. HVDC cables are often considered to be environmentally inert from an external electric field perspective (i.e., electric fields are contained in the cable, and the cable’s static magnetic fields induce no voltages externally). However, simulation demonstrates that ocean currents moving through the static magnetic field satisfy the relative motion requirement of Faraday’s law. Thus, externally induced electric fields can exist around the cable and are within a range detectable by various aquatic species. Key Takeaway: Learn how to use modern simulation to translate single-phase laboratory corona mockups into accurate three-phase real-world performance for 500 kV and 765 kV systems. Explore the physics behind how ocean currents interacting with HVDC submarine cables create induced electric fields—a phenomenon often overlooked but detectable by aquatic species. Gain actionable insights into how to leverage simulation to reduce design costs and bypass the physical space constraints that often stall traditional testing. See a practical application of electromagnetic theory as we demonstrate how relative motion in static magnetic fields necessitates simulation where direct measurement is unfeasible. Register now for this free webinar!
Before the attention economy consumed our lives, “pursuit tests” devised by the US military coupled man to machine with the aim of assessing focus under pressure. D. Graham Burnett explores these devices for evaluating aviators, finding a pre-history of the laboratory research that has relentlessly worked to slice and dice the attentional powers of human beings.