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[novumtimes]

Pro-Palestinian protesters shut down 101 Freeway in downtown L.A.

Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters briefly shutdown the 101 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles on Monday afternoon. The protesters blocked traffic as they held Palestinian flags and signs reading “Stop the Genocide” and “End the Occupation Now!” and chanted “Eyes on Rafah!” according to video posted to social media, including by journalist Ben Camacho. The protest came a day after what appeared to…

[novumtimes]

Games Inbox: What Resident Evil remake should be next?

Resident Evil Zero may be getting a remake (Capcom) The Tuesday letters page asks why video game leakers do what they do, as one reader congratulates Activision for its Black Ops 6 marketing. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk Solving the CodeI find the idea of internet wars between different groups of leakers mildly hilarious, especially seeing how angry some…

[novumtimes]

Pensioners would get a 2.4bn income tax break under the Tories Sunak to vow

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Pensioners will be given a tax break worth £2.4 billion a year, Rishi Sunak is expected to promise. The Prime Minister will announce on Tuesday that from April next year the income tax personal allowance for pensioners will be increased in line with the triple lock, as he continues the Conservatives’ election campaign. The pledge would mean both the state pension and pensioners’ tax-free allowance will always rise in line with the highest of earnings, wages or 2.5%. Billed the “triple lock plus”, the policy is estimated to cost £2.4 billion a year by 2029/30, a price tag which mirrors Mr Sunak’s proposed national service duty for all 18-year-olds, billed at £2.5 billion a year. The tax cut will be funded through a previously announced plan to raise £6 billion a year by the end of the next parliament by clamping down on tax avoidance and evasion. For individual pensioners, it would be worth around £100 in 2025 according to the Tories, and would grow over time, adding to their incomes on top of rises in the state pension. The policy follows criticism of Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s decision to cut national insurance by 2p at the spring budget, after a similar cut in the autumn. State pensioners did not benefit from the cut, as they do not pay national insurance. While Mr Sunak said the Tories were committed to the triple lock, he claimed Labour would by contrast drag pensioners in receipt of the full state pension “into income tax for the first time in history”. This bold action demonstrates we are on the side of pensioners. The alternative is Labour dragging everyone in receipt of the full state pension into income tax for the first time in history Rishi Sunak The Prime Minister said: “I passionately believe that those who have worked hard all their lives should have peace of mind and security in retirement. “Thanks to the Conservatives’ triple lock, pensions have risen by £900 this year and now we will cut their taxes by around £100 next year. “This bold action demonstrates we are on the side of pensioners. The alternative is Labour dragging everyone in receipt of the full state pension into income tax for the first time in history.” But Labour claimed the Tories’ offer to pensioners was not credible. “Why would anyone believe the Tories and Rishi Sunak on tax after they left the country with the highest tax burden in 70 years?” said Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow paymaster general. He added: “This is just another desperate move from a chaotic Tory Party torching any remaining facade of its claims to economic credibility. “Not only have they promised to spend tens of billions of pounds since this campaign began, they also have a completely unfunded £46 billion policy to scrap national insurance that threatens the very basis of the state pension. “Labour will protect the triple lock. But Rishi Sunak is planning to reward Britain’s pensioners for their loyalty by stabbing them in the back, just like he did to Boris Johnson and just like he has done to his own MPs.” Source link via The Novum Times

[novumtimes]

Top 10 Foods for Eye Health

Like the rest of your body, your eyes depend on a steady supply of nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, to stay healthy. Certain nutrients, such as vitamin A, are essential for vision and eye function, while other substances found in foods, like omega-3s, can help reduce and prevent cellular damage that leads to eye disease and vision loss. Following a healthy diet rich in fruits,…

[novumtimes]

Pensioners would get a £2.4bn income tax break under the Tories, Sunak to vow

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Pensioners will be given a tax break worth £2.4 billion a year, Rishi Sunak is expected to promise. The Prime Minister will announce on Tuesday that from April next year the income tax personal allowance for pensioners will be increased in line with the…

[novumtimes]

East Coast braces for flooding tornadoes after severe weather in the South : NPR

A man looks at a damaged car after a tornado hit the day before, Sunday, May 26, 2024, in Valley View, Texas. Powerful storms left a wide trail of destruction Sunday across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas after obliterating homes and destroying a truck stop where drivers took shelter during the latest deadly weather to strike the central U.S. Julio Cortez/AP hide caption toggle caption Julio Cortez/AP A large swath of the eastern U.S. is bracing for severe weather as the Memorial Day weekend comes to a close. Deadly storms over the long weekend also knocked out power to hundreds of thousands across the South and disrupted holiday travel at busy airports in the northeast. Severe storms were expected to stretch from Alabama to upstate New York on Monday evening, according to the National Weather Service. Forecasters said the storms could lead to intense rainfall in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, with flash flooding possible. Hail, heavy winds and tornadoes are also possible from northeast Maryland to the Catskill Mountains of New York, according to the NWS. The threat of severe weather Monday follows a string of powerful and deadly storms that swept through the South and parts of the Midwest over the holiday weekend. At least 23 people were killed in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Alabama and Kentucky as a result of severe weather. Earlier in the week, a deadly tornado also hit Iowa. In a news conference Monday, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said four people were killed in four different counties after storms ripped through most of the state on Sunday. Later Monday, Beshear confirmed a fifth storm related death. The tiny southwestern Kentucky community of Charleston took a direct hit from a tornado, officials said. Beshear said the twister appeared to have been on the ground for 40 miles. “It could have been much worse,” Beshear said of this weekend’s storms. “The people of Kentucky are very weather aware with everything we’ve been through.” To the east of Charleston, parts of Hopkins County, Kentucky also saw damage Sunday night. Western Kentucky, including a number of communities in Hopkins County, endured a series of devastating tornadoes in 2021 that killed 81 people. “There were a lot of people that were just getting their lives put back together and then this,” Hopkins County emergency management director Nick Bailey was quoted by The Associated Press as saying. “Almost the same spot, the same houses and everything.” The website Poweroutage.us reported hundreds of thousands without power on Monday. More than 120,000 customers in Kentucky were without power as of 5:30 p.m. ET, according to the website. Data showed Arkansas and West Virginia each had more than 40,000 customers without electricity. The White House said the Federal Emergency Management Agency was on the ground conducting damage assessments with state and local authorities. President Biden has directed federal agencies to provide support as needed. Holiday travel has also been disrupted as a result of the weekend storms. According to the flight-tracking website Flight Aware, more than 400 flights in the U.S. were canceled as of 5:30 p.m. Monday — and another 5,200-plus flights had been delayed. New York’s LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty Airport in New Jersey were most affected by delays and cancellations. Source link via The Novum Times

[novumtimes]

Queen’s ‘loving gesture’ when young royals stopped over | Royal | News

The late Queen Elizabeth II was not only the nation’s longest-reigning monarch but also a doting grandmother to her eight grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren, a role she cherished deeply. Her commitment to her royal duties was known across the world, yet it was her profound affection for her family that often warmed the hearts of the public, as seen in intimate photos and anecdotes from…

[novumtimes]

The GOP has a ‘candidate quality’ Senate problem—again

Republicans failed to retake the Senate in the 2022 midterms, owing in large part to what GOP leader Mitch McConnell had identified before the election as a “candidate quality” problem. The strategy of running millionaire candidates who could self-fund and were handpicked by Donald Trump was a bust.  So did Republicans learn from that? Of course not. The Senate map for 2024 is much more favorable…

[novumtimes]

Quambatook golf course revamp par for the course in town where residents rally to keep community going

In short: Volunteers using donations from the community have cleared six holes at a small country golf course after it sat derelict for years.It comes after the town, Quambatook in northern Victoria, lost many of its clubs and groups over the past decade. What’s next? The team is aiming to one day restore the full course, and add other features. The town of Quambatook has had a hard few years —…

[novumtimes]

Palm Beach Gardens brush fire makes heavy smoke visible near Donald Ross Road I-95

PALM BEACH GARDENS — A brush fire Monday made heavy smoke visible near Interstate 95 along Donald Ross Road in Palm Beach Gardens, officials said. As of 6 p.m., crews from Palm Beach County Fire Rescue and Palm Beach Gardens Fire Rescue were working to extinguish the flames, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue said. A 911 caller alerted the agencies to the fire at about 4:40 p.m., reporting heavy smoke in the area near the Alton neighborhood near the interstate. First arriving crews reported the fire was about 2 acres in size. No information on the cause of the fire was immediately available. Tom Elia is an editor at The Palm Beach Post, overseeing coverage of public safety, the courts and Palm Beach County’s northern and western communities. You can reach him at telia@pbpost.com. Support local journalism: Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Gardens brush fire makes smoke visible near Donald Ross Road, I-95 Source link via The Novum Times

[novumtimes]

Urgent warning for Tesco shoppers to use Clubcard vouchers this week or risk missing out on millions in savings

TESCO shoppers have just days left to use their Clubcard vouchers or risk missing out on millions in savings. The major supermarket chain has warned customers to use their Clubcard points before midnight on May 31. 2 Tesco has warned customers to use their Clubcard points before midnight on May 31Credit: Alamy 2 Clubcard points can also be used to pay for fuel costs or secure a new deal with…

[novumtimes]

Cannes Film Festival security guard clashes with third celebrity on the red carpet

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails A female security guard seen in clashes with celebrities on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival this year has come under fire for a third time after appearing to block Korean actress, Yoona, from taking photos. The unidentified guard has faced…

[novumtimes]

Emissions cap would cost O&G sector $75B in lost investment: lobby

Breadcrumb Trail Links Energy A new report’s conclusions were used to support the industry argument that legislating an emissions ceiling will inhibit investment and growth, even as opponents argued the report’s methodology was flawed Author of the article: CP, The Canadian Press Amanda Stephenson Published May 27, 2024  •  4 minute read You can save this article by registering for free…

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Palm Beach Gardens brush fire makes heavy smoke visible near Donald Ross Road, I-95

PALM BEACH GARDENS — A brush fire Monday made heavy smoke visible near Interstate 95 along Donald Ross Road in Palm Beach Gardens, officials said. As of 6 p.m., crews from Palm Beach County Fire Rescue and Palm Beach Gardens Fire Rescue were working to extinguish the flames, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue said. A 911 caller alerted the agencies to the fire at about 4:40 p.m., reporting heavy smoke…

[novumtimes]

Johnny Wactor General Hospital Actor Reported Killed in Shooting in Los Angeles

Johnny Wactor, an actor best known for his role in “General Hospital,” was shot and killed on Saturday, reports said, amid what his family described as an attempted theft of a catalytic converter in Los Angeles. The fatal shooting took place around 3 a.m. on Saturday, when Mr. Wactor approached three men in downtown Los Angeles, The Associated Press reported, citing the Los Angeles Police Department. His mother, Scarlett Wactor, told the local news station ABC7 that Mr. Wactor left the rooftop bar where he worked late in the evening and was walking with a co-worker toward his vehicle when he interrupted someone who was in the process of stealing the vehicle’s catalytic converter. Ms. Wactor said her son thought his car was being towed at first, and when he approached the person to ask, the person “looked up, he was wearing a mask, and opened fire.” Three men fled the scene in a vehicle, and Mr. Wactor was taken to a hospital, where he died, The A.P. reported. No arrests have been made. Representatives for the Police Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday. Mr. Wactor had played Brando Corbin in more than 160 episodes of the soap opera “General Hospital,” according to his IMDB page. He also appeared in episodes of “Westworld,” “The OA” and “Station 19.” In a statement on social media, a page for “General Hospital” said the show’s cast and crew were “heartbroken to hear of Johnny Wactor’s untimely passing.” Many of Mr. Wactor’s co-stars from the show posted tributes on social media, including Kirsten Storms, who played the character Maxie Jones. Ms. Storms wrote in an Instagram post, “I just cannot believe that his life was stolen from him the way it was.” There has been a jump in the number of thefts of catalytic converters, or “cats” for short, in recent years. These critical emission-control devices are valuable because they contain rare metals, like palladium and rhodium, that can be extracted and resold. Source link via The Novum Times

[novumtimes]

JPMorgan Doubts SEC Will Approve Solana or Other Crypto ETFs

Global investment bank JPMorgan has expressed doubt that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will approve solana ETFs or any other spot crypto ETFs beyond bitcoin and ether. The decision by the SEC to approve ether ETFs “is already stretched given the ambiguity about whether ethereum should be classified as security or not,” said […] Source link via The Novum Times

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‘Pitiful’ number of childminders sign up to government grant scheme

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email The government’s childcare policy is at risk of failure as figures reveal that a “pitiful” number of childminders have signed up for the government’s grant scheme. Information obtained by The Independent via a freedom of information request shows that 1,627 grants were…