UNITED STATES
NYC ballet leader resigns
The longtime leader of the New York City Ballet is retiring in the midst of an investigation into accusations of sexual misconduct by him. Peter Martins on Monday wrote a letter to the company’s board of directors announcing his retirement, saying the scandal had “exacted a painful toll on me and my family.” City Ballet last month announced Martins would take a leave of absence from the company and its School of American Ballet during an independent investigation. The company hired a law firm to conduct the investigation after receiving an anonymous letter accusing Martins of harassment.
ISRAEL
Land vote threshold raised
Israel yesterday set a higher threshold for any future vote on ceding parts of Jerusalem to the Palestinians, who want the eastern part of the city for a future independent state. The amendment passed by the Israeli parliament to existing legislation raised the number of votes that would be required in the 120-seat Knesset to approve any proposal to hand over part of the city to “a foreign party” from 61 to 80. “The authority to relinquish parts of the land is not in the hands of any Jew, nor of the Jewish people,” said Naftali Bennett, head of the far-right Jewish Home coalition party, which sponsored the legislation. Palestinian officials were not immediately available for comment on the new amendment, which passed by a vote of 64 to 52.
SYRIA
Al-Assad shuffles Cabinet
President Bashar al-Assad replaced his defense minister for the first time since 2012 as part of a government reshuffle announced by the state news agency SANA on Monday. “President Assad issued a decree, the first of 2018, naming General Ali Abdullah Ayoub minister of defense,” the agency said, without providing any explanation for the surprise announcement. The 65-year-old was until now the chief of general staff of the armed forces. The reshuffle also saw two other changes: Mohammed Mazen Ali Yusef was given the industry portfolio and Imad Abdullah Sara, previously the head of the state broadcasting corporation,
UNITED STATES
‘Time’s Up’ group launches
Reese Witherspoon, Shonda Rhimes and Jennifer Aniston are among hundreds of Hollywood women who have formed an anti-harassment coalition called Time’s Up. The initiative (www.timesupnow.com) was launched on Monday with an open letter vowing support for women in the entertainment business and beyond, from janitors to healthcare workers. Time’s Up is to include a legal defense fund and will advocate for legislation combating workplace harassment.
INDONESIA
Jakarta airport train opens
Jakarta yesterday launched the first train connecting its international airport to the city center. The new system links Soekarno-Hatta International Airport to downtown in 55 minutes, cutting driving time by half or more. President Joko Widodo inaugurated the new system that officials hope will convince travelers to make the switch from private to public transportation on the 38km route. Jakarta is also building its first subway and light-rail systems, with service expected to start next year. The direct link is to run 42 trips daily from dawn to shortly before midnight. Tickets will cost 70,000 rupiah (US$4.90) for the first two months, rising to 100,000 rupiah afterward — about half the cost of a taxi.
Republican US lawmakers on Friday criticized US President Joe Biden’s administration after sanctioned Chinese telecoms equipment giant Huawei unveiled a laptop this week powered by an Intel artificial intelligence (AI) chip. The US placed Huawei on a trade restriction list in 2019 for contravening Iran sanctions, part of a broader effort to hobble Beijing’s technological advances. Placement on the list means the company’s suppliers have to seek a special, difficult-to-obtain license before shipping to it. One such license, issued by then-US president Donald Trump’s administration, has allowed Intel to ship central processors to Huawei for use in laptops since 2020. China hardliners
Conjoined twins Lori and George Schappell, who pursued separate careers, interests and relationships during lives that defied medical expectations, died this month in Pennsylvania, funeral home officials said. They were 62. The twins, listed by Guinness World Records as the oldest living conjoined twins, died on April 7 at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, obituaries posted by Leibensperger Funeral Homes of Hamburg said. The cause of death was not detailed. “When we were born, the doctors didn’t think we’d make 30, but we proved them wrong,” Lori said in an interview when they turned 50, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. The
RAMPAGE: A Palestinian man was left dead after dozens of Israeli settlers searching for a missing 14-year-old boy stormed a village in the Israeli-occupied West Bank US President Joe Biden on Friday said he expected Iran to attack Israel “sooner, rather than later” and warned Tehran not to proceed. Asked by reporters about his message to Iran, Biden simply said: “Don’t,” underscoring Washington’s commitment to defend Israel. “We are devoted to the defense of Israel. We will support Israel. We will help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed,” he said. Biden said he would not divulge secure information, but said his expectation was that an attack could come “sooner, rather than later.” Israel braced on Friday for an attack by Iran or its proxies as warnings grew of
A prominent Christian leader has allegedly been stabbed at the altar during a Mass yesterday in southwest Sydney. Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was saying Mass at Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley just after 7pm when a man approached him at the altar and allegedly stabbed toward his head multiple times. A live stream of the Mass shows the congregation swarm forward toward Emmanuel before it was cut off. The church leader gained prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic, amassing a large online following, Officers attached to Fairfield City police area command attended a location on Welcome Street, Wakeley following reports a number