SHANGHAI -Chinese regulators and their U.S. counterparts are working hard to solve an audit dispute affecting U.S.-listed Chinese firms and want to achieve effective and sustainable cooperation as soon as possible, a state-run newspaper reported on Sunday.

Citing a source close to Chinese regulators, the official China Securities Journal reported that the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) heard opinions from some U.S.-listed Chinese companies during an online meeting on Sunday.

“Both Chinese and U.S. regulators are fully aware of each other’s concerns, and are moving toward each other, and working hard to find solutions to the issue in order to achieve effective and sustainable cooperation as soon as possible,” the source was cited as saying.

“This is in the best interests of the capital markets of both countries and global investors.”

CSRC said that the recent talks with U.S. regulators have been efficient, candid, and professional, the newspaper said.

The comments come days after the U.S. public company accounting regulator said that recent media speculation about an imminent deal with China was “premature”, and it remained unclear if the Chinese government would grant the access required by a new U.S. listing law.

Washington is demanding complete access to the books of U.S-listed Chinese companies, but Beijing bars foreign inspection of working papers from local accounting firms – a long-simmering auditing dispute that puts hundreds of billions of dollars of U.S. investments at stake.

The Hang Seng Tech Index, which tracks some of China’s biggest tech companies including Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and Baidu Inc, jumped 3.6% on Monday morning, compared with a 1.3% gain in the benchmark index Hang Seng.

SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES

But some analysts and investors remain sceptical that a solution will be found.

“Significant differences exist between the US and Chinese regulators,” Hao Hong, head of research at BOCOM International, wrote on Monday. “Many US-listed Chinese companies will face delisting eventually.”

U.S. regulators require disclosure of government interest in the listed companies, as well as sensitive information and data, while the Chinese government “has been tightening its control on many of China’s biggest and most important companies,” he added.

To avert the delisting risk, New York-based asset manager Krane Funds Advisors said earlier this month that its $4.9 billion KraneShare CSI China Internet ETF aims to convert all Chinese American Depository Receipts (ADRs) in its portfolio into their Hong Kong shares in the coming months.

Chinese regulators have asked some of the country’s U.S.-listed firms, including Alibaba, Baidu and JD.com, to prepare for more audit disclosures as Beijing steps up efforts to ensure they remain listed in New York, Reuters reported last week.

The Financial Times and Bloomberg News also reported this month that China’s securities watchdog is weighing a proposal that would allow U.S. regulators to inspect auditors’ working papers for some companies as soon as this year.

CSRC cautioned market participants not to blindly believe in speculation by some media with little knowledge of the details and direction of the talks, as such reports caused unnecessary disturbances to market expectations, the China Securities Journal reported on Sunday.

(Reporting by Shanghai NewsroomEditing by Raissa Kasolowsky & Simon Cameron-Moore)

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JERSEY CITY, NJ – A second juvenile has been arrested in connection with the death of Pedro Rodriguez, 16, who was fatally shot in Jersey City on Thursday, December 16, 2021.

According to the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, the 17-year-old surrendered himself to detectives with the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Unit in Jersey City on Wednesday.

The name of the teen was not released.

He was charged as a juvenile with murder and is being detained at the Morris County Juvenile Detention Center pending his first court appearance.

“On Thursday, December 16, 2021, at approximately 11:45 a.m., the Jersey City Police Department responded to the area of 600 Communipaw Avenue on a report of shots fired,” police records revealed. “Responding officers found an unresponsive male victim at that location with apparent gunshot wounds. The victim, later identified as Pedro Rodriguez, 16, of Jersey City, was pronounced dead at the scene at
approximately 12:00 p.m. The Regional Medical Examiner determined the Cause of death to be multiple gunshot wounds and the Manner of death to be homicide.”

A second juvenile, a 17-year-old, was arrested on Monday, December 27, 2021.

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JERSEY CITY, NJ – A second man has been arrested for the November 13th shooting murder of Ishamell McCanny, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Announced.

On Tuesday, Damean Bates, 33, of West Orange, was arrested in Raleigh, North Carolina, in connection with the fatal shooting of McCanny.

“Bates was arrested at approximately 2:05 p.m. by members of the United States Marshals Service Eastern District of North Carolina Regional Fugitive Task Force after members of the United States Marshals Service New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force learned of Bates’ location,” according to the HCPO. “Bates is charged with Attempted Murder in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:5-1 and N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3, Unlawful Possession of a Weapon in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5b, and Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-4a. He remains in custody in North Carolina awaiting extradition to New Jersey.”

According to police reports at the time, on Saturday, November 13, 2021, shortly after 4:00 a.m., the Jersey City Police Department responded to the area of Grant Avenue and Martin Luther King Drive in Jersey City after hearing gunshots.

“Responding officers found a male victim with a gunshot wound to the torso. The victim, later identified as Ishamell McCany, 41, of Jersey City, was transported by Emergency Medical Services to Jersey City Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at approximately 4:20 a.m.,” the report read. “A second defendant in the case, Anthony King, 35, of Jersey City, was arrested by the United States Marshals Service Eastern District of North Carolina Regional Fugitive Task Force on Thursday, January 13, 2022.”

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NEWBURGH, NY – The man who shot three people in Newburgh last summer has pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted murder and one county of assault, according to Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler.

On Friday, D.A. Hoovler announced Danny Flores-Garcia, 19, of Newburgh, pleaded in Orange County Court to two counts of Attempted Murder in the Second Degree, and one count of Assault in the Second Degree, for shooting three people in the City of Newburgh on September 17, 2021.   Flores-Garcia also pleaded guilty to Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, for possessing a loaded and defaced pistol on July 13, 2021.  

“Pursuant to the plea agreement placed on the record at the time that Flores-Garcia pleaded guilty, the District Attorney’s Office will recommend that he be sentenced to twenty years in state prison, and five years post-release supervision, when he is sentenced on June 3, 2022,” Hoovler said. “The judge promised not sentence Flores-Garcia to more than fifteen years in state prison, and five years post-release supervision. “

Hoovler, according to court records, admitted that he shot three people on September 17, 2021, at about 2:40 AM , in the vicinity of 69 Mill Street, in the City of Newburgh.

“Flores-Garcia admitted that he was trying to kill two of the people at the time that he shot them and that he seriously injured those two people,” Hoovler said. “Flores-Garcia admitted causing physical injury to the third person he shot.  Flores also admitted that on July 13, 2021, at about 11:15 AM in the vicinity of 88 Benkard Avenue, in Newburgh, he possessed a load and defaced Ruger pistol.   A “defaced” firearm is one where the serial number has been removed.  This is often done to prevent law enforcement officials from tracing where the gun had last been possessed legally.”

“There can be no greater priority for law enforcement in the City of Newburgh than stopping the senseless violence that so adversely affects our communities,” said District Attorney Hoovler.  “We can only hope that those who were injured by this defendant will fully recover.  Fortunately, no one lost their life as result of this defendant’s cold-blooded actions.  Those who live in, work in, or visit, the City of Newburgh deserve a safe city. This is only possible if those who commit acts of gun violence are held accountable.” 

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HONG KONG – China Evergrande New Energy Vehicle Group said it will start accepting orders for its inaugural electric car, the Hengchi 5 sport utility vehicle, “imminently” and open sales centres in 15 major cities across the country.

Liu Yongzhuo, president of the electric vehicle (EV) arm of the world’s most indebted property developer China Evergrande Group, made the comment at an online meeting attended by nearly 200 global parts suppliers on Sunday, according to the firm’s official Wechat account. The social media post didn’t say exactly when the firm will start taking orders.

The plan comes as the EV firm has been struggling to secure external investment. Evergrande told investors in a call last week it was trying to rope in investors to help bolster the unit’s finances – a goal it has been pursuing for months without much success.

Evergrande New Energy Vehicle said in November it had been negotiating with potential buyers regarding the disposal of some assets and talking to potential investors about funding.

Evergrande chairman Hui Ka Yan said at an internal meeting last week that the EV company will start mass production on June 22, after getting approval from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology to start sales earlier this month.

The EV firm’s Wechat post said the sales centres will be located in cities including Tianjin, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

(Reporting by Clare Jim; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell)

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HYATTSVILLE, MD – A D.C. man, 22-year-old Daquan Dockery was shot and killed inside the Mall of Price George’s on Tuesday.

“The Prince George’s County Police Department’s Homicide Unit is leading the investigation into a fatal shooting that occurred in the city of Hyattsville Friday evening,” the Prince George’s Police Department said. “The victim is identified as 22-year-old Daquan Dockery of Washington, DC. Preliminarily, detectives do not believe this was a random crime. “

According to a police report, on March 25, at approximately 6:30 pm, officers with the Hyattsville City Police Department and Prince George’s County Police Department responded to a shooting inside of the Mall at Prince George’s in the 3500 block of East-West Highway.

The victim was located inside of a store suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead on the scene.

The suspect fled the scene.

A reward of up to $25,000 is being offered for information leading to an arrest and indictment in this case.

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WINDSOR MILL, MD – A residential fire in Windsor Mill claimed the life of a 62-year-old man on Sunday, according to the Baltimore County Police Department.

At approximately 4:40 a.m., officers from the Woodlawn Precinct responded to reports of a residential fire, in the 3300 block of Ripple Rd., 21244. 62-year-old Curtis Jones Sr. was pronounced deceased at the scene. 

The fire was contained shortly afterward.

“Circumstances surrounding this fire are currently under investigation by the Baltimore County Fire & Explosion Investigation Team,” BCPD said in a statement.

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UTICA, NY – A Utica woman’s Michael Walsh apartment building was hit by a bullet Sunday afternoon, police in Utica said.

At around 4:42 pm, Utica Police responded to 1204 Gray Avenue- Michael Walsh Apartment Building, in regards a shots fired call that was believed to have occurred earlier in the morning hours.

“Police officers spoke to one of the tenants, who had a bullet hole in her living room window and wall,” Police said.

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NEW DELHI – India’s two largest multiplex firms said on Sunday they would merge to create a giant cinema operator with more than 1,500 screens across 109 cities as the entertainment industry recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.

PVR and INOX Leisure said the merger, which is subject to regulatory approvals, would help both companies improve efficiency, reach newer markets and optimise cost.

“The film exhibition sector has been one of the worst impacted sectors on account of the pandemic and creating scale to achieve efficiencies is critical for the long-term survival of the business and fight the onslaught of digital OTT platforms,” PVR Chairman Ajay Bijli said in a press release.

Over-the-top, or OTT, platforms such Netflix, Amazon’s Prime Video and Disney have made deep inroads in India, where the pandemic ravaged a film industry known for song-and-dance spectacles watched by millions.

PVR is India’s largest multiplex chain with more than 850 screens, followed by INOX Leisure with about 650 screens.

The merger follows a two-year period when most theatres were shut due to COVID-19 restrictions.

(Reporting by Devjyot Ghoshal, Editing by Rupam Jain and Edmund Blair)

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Middletown, NY – An Orange County Man has pleaded guilty to arson for a fire he set at his girlfriend’s home in Middletown last May.

According to Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler, Larry Hickmon, 30, was sentenced to eighteen years in state prison and five years post-release supervision in connection with a fire at an apartment complex located on Concord Lane in  Middletown, on May 17, 2021.  

Hickmon had pleaded guilty to Arson in the Second Degree on January 27, 2022. 

“It was alleged that on May 17, 2021, Hickmon assaulted his girlfriend inside their apartment at an apartment complex on Concord Lane, in the City of Middletown,” the Orange County District Attorney said in a statement. “After the woman fled from the apartment, it was alleged that the defendant started a fire in the apartment, knowing that there were other residents in the apartment complex, including a number of children. No one was injured as a result of the fire,  however, multiple families had their residences destroyed.”

Hickmon admitted setting the fire, and knowing at the time that he set the fire that there were other residents were in the apartment complex, court records show.

“This defendant’s selfish actions could easily have resulted in death or serious physical injury to residents of the apartment building, as well as to first responders,” said District Attorney David M. Hoovler. “The close to two decades that this defendant will be incarcerated reflects the utter disregard for human life and property that he exhibited. My office will continue to seek stiff state prison sentences for arsonists.” 

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MOUNT VERNON, NY – A man who shot and killed his roommate during an argument in their Third Avenue Apartment in Mount Vernon is heading to prison for 15 years after pleading guilty this week.

Westchester County District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah announced that Mount Vernon resident Akeem Palmer was sentenced to state prison for the 2020 shooting death of his roommate.

Palmer, 25, was sentenced on March 24, 2022, to 15 years in state prison, with five years of post-release supervision after his plea of guilty to Manslaughter in the First Degree, a violent felony.

“On April 26, 2020, Palmer shot 23-year-old Ryan Solomon during an argument in the apartment they both shared on South Third Avenue in Mount Vernon. Solomon was transported to Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx, where he died,” the Mount Vernon Police Department said.

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MOHEGAN LAKE, NY – The owner of a Westchester County pet rescue might wish she was only going to the dog house after pleading guilty to stealing nearly $18,000 from her Recycled Paws Rescue in Mohegan Lake. Now, Lisa Marie Birdsall might be heading to jail.

According to the Westchester District Attorney’s Office, Birdsall, 56, of Yorktown, pled guilty on March 23, 2022, to Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, a felony, and Petit Larceny, a misdemeanor. As part of her plea agreement, Birdsall will be required to pay full restitution for the monies stolen to another organization that cares for animals.

“Between January 2020 and December 2020, Birdsall stole $17,956 from money that was donated to Recycled Paws Rescue for the care of animals and used the money for her own personal purposes,” the report stated. “The SPCA of Westchester’s Humane Law Enforcement Unit arrested Birdsall on July 13, 2021, following a joint investigation with District Attorney’s Economic Crimes Bureau.”

Birdsall is scheduled to be sentenced on March 22, 2023. The rescue, according to Google is now permanently closed.

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GARRETT COUNTY, MD – Police have charged the man who allegedly set fire in an apartment building hallway on Tuesday. It was later learned he set off a smoke grenade.

Brad Allen Stover, 48, was charged after determining he was responsible for “attempting to start a fire” within the hallway of his apartment building where he resided.

“On March 22, 2022, just after 3:00 a.m., Bloomington Volunteer Fire Company responded to 20960 Maryland Highway for a reported building fire,” a state fire marshal’s report detailed. “Upon arrival, firefighters discovered smoke coming from the two-story apartment building. While investigating the source of the smoke, tenants reported seeing a man throw what they described as a road flare into the hallway of the building. Firefighters located the device and determined it had burned itself out and requested the Office of the State Fire Marshal to investigate.”

Investigators later located the remains of a pyrotechnic device commonly referred to as a smoke grenade.

“Smoke grenades produce a smoke effect and can blanket their surrounding area in a thick layer of smoke and are for outdoor use only,” investigators reported. “Upon reviewing surveillance footage, investigators observed a suspect, later identified as Stover, ignite the device and place it in the hallway. Stover then exited the apartment building and drove away.”

Stover was charged with arson.

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Fire

WASHINGTON COUNTY, MD – The suspect involved in a fire at a trailer behind a home on Cool Hollow Road on March 8th has been charged with arson, according to the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office.

David A. Wilhelm, 39, of Anne Arundel County faces arson charges after setting a Hagerstown trailer on fire and then barricading himself in a house he was helping to work on yesterday.

Police said Wilhelm was working on a home that afternoon at 20033 Cool Hollow Road when he suddenly became agitated with the property owner.

“Wilhelm, who lived in a trailer behind the home, ran inside and intentionally set a mattress on fire inside the trailer’s bedroom. The property owner called 911, and Wilhelm exited the trailer and went inside the owners’ house he was contracted to work on,” the Fire Marshal’s Office said. “Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Maryland and Maryland State Police arrived on scene to assist.”

Upon contacting him inside, Wilhelm threatened to burn the house down and attempted to pour gas inside a third-floor bedroom. In hopes of deescalating the situation, deputies exited, and Wilhelm barricaded himself in the house.

After several hours, Wilhelm agreed to surrender and was taken into custody by Deputy State Fire Marshals. Wilhelm later told investigators he was having a bad day.

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WILMINGTON, DE – The Delaware State Police have announced an arrested in a murder that took place Thursday afternoon in the Capitol Park neighborhood in Dover. Police said Marcus Bailey, 18, of Wilmington has been arrested to be the alleged gunman of a shooting and robbery that left a 33-year-old Dover man dead in the driver’s seat of his vehicle.

“On March 24, 2022, at approximately 3:50 p.m., troopers responded to Senator Avenue for a reported shooting. The investigation determined a 33-year-old Dover man, was seated in the driver seat of a vehicle parked on Senator Avenue when Marcus Bailey entered the backseat of the car,” the Delaware Police said in a statement. “Marcus engaged in a conversation with the victim before demanding the victim’s property. At some point during the encounter, the victim was shot in the upper torso. Marcus then fled the vehicle in an unknown direction of travel. The victim was pronounced deceased at the scene.”

Through investigative measures, the Delaware State Police identified Marcus Bailey as the suspect involved in this shooting incident. On March 26, 2022, Marcus was taken into custody without incident during a traffic stop in the Long Neck Wawa parking lot.

He is facing murder, robbery, and illegal gun possession by a convicted felon. Bail was set at $1,120,000.

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NEW YORK, NY – A drug deal went wrong and turned deadly when Joseph Barahona, 19, along with two others, tried to steal marijuana from an 18-year-old man by holding him at gunpoint in February. The plan went awry and the 18-year-old was killed. Now he is facing chargers for murder and attempted robbery.

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said, “As alleged, the defendant participated in a scheme to steal thousands of dollars’ worth of marijuana. The armed heist delved into chaos when a gun was fired and the victim, who was being held at gunpoint, was killed. Now a young man is being mourned by his family and this defendant faces very serious charges for his alleged actions.”

According to a report by the Queens District Attorney’s Office, Barahona, of 35th Avenue in Jackson Heights, Queens, was arraigned today before Queens Supreme Court Justice Kenneth Holder on a six-count indictment charging him with murder in the second degree, burglary in the first degree and attempted robbery in the first degree. Justice Holder set the defendant’s return date for March 29, 2022. If convicted, Barahona faces up to 25 years to life in prison.

According to the charges, on February 10, 2022, just before 7 p.m., Barahona went to an apartment in East Elmhurst, Queens, in an alleged attempt to buy marijuana.

“The defendant was escorted inside by Gregory Campos. After settling on a price, the defendant left the apartment with a sample of the marijuana to allegedly show his friends who were outside,” D.A. Katz said in a statement. “Campos escorted the defendant back outside and held the apartment building’s door open for Barahona to come back in to make the buy. Immediately, however, two masked men appeared at the building entrance with Barahona. Campos had a gun shoved into his back and was forced upstairs by the masked men and Barahona toward the apartment they had just come from moments earlier.”

DA Katz said, at the apartment door someone inside saw the attempted robbery unfolding in the stairwell, quickly slammed the door shut and yelled “get the strap.” Seconds later, a pistol was fired from inside the apartment and through the wall adjacent to the stairwell where the 18-year-old Campos was being held at gunpoint. The bullet hit the teenager in the torso, causing his death.

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BUFFALO, NY – A former Tonawanda Police Department dispatch supervisor, Brett A. Rider, 48, of Kenmore has pleaded guilty in court to charges lodged against him for behavior between 2009 and 2019.

Erie County District Attorney John Flynn said, over the course of several years, Rider engaged in inappropriate, sexually harassing behavior while on-duty as an acting dispatch supervisor for the Town of Tonawanda Police Department.

“While off-duty, the defendant sexually assaulted three female employees,” Flynn said in a statement. “The defendant engaged in sexual intercourse by forcible compulsion with a female victim in September 2009.”

Then, in 2017 Rider subjected a second female victim to sexual conduct by forcibly touching her intimate parts, according to court records. Finally, in 2019, court records show he also engaged in sexual intercourse by forcible compulsion with a third female in November 2019.

Under this plea, the maximum sentence is 10 years in state prison followed by 10 years post-release supervision when he is sentenced on May 31, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. He remains held without bail.

Orders of protection remain in place for all three victims.

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Memphis, TN – On March 25, 2022, Gregory Morton, 50, was
arrested by the U.S. Marshals Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task
Force at the behest of the U.S. Marshals Two Rivers Violent Fugitive
Task Force. U.S. Marshal Tyreece Miller made the announcement today.On December 29, 2021, Juanita Washington was shot to death at a
Walgreens located at the 3100 block of Perkins Road, Memphis, Tennessee.
On January 12, 2022, a warrant for First Degree Murder was issued by
Shelby County Criminal Court. This fugitive case was adopted by the U.S.
Marshals Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force. In addition to
the murder charge, Morton was wanted for Pretrial Release Violation on a
Federal weapons charge and a state charge of Convicted Felon in
Possession of a Handgun.Investigators with the Two Rivers Task
Force developed information that Morton was in Las Vegas, Nevada. The
U.S. Marshals Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force was able to
take him into custody without incident.“When U.S. Marshals Task
Forces work on a case, luck tends to run out for fugitives,” said U.S.
Marshal Tyreece Miller.The U.S. Marshals Two Rivers Violent
Fugitive Task Force is a multi-agency task force in the Western District
of Tennessee with offices in Memphis and Jackson. Its membership is
composed of Deputy U.S. Marshals, Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputies,
Memphis Police Officers, Fayette County Sheriff’s Deputies, Jackson
Police Officers, and Special Agents with the Tennessee Department of
Correction. The primary mission of the Task Force is to arrest violent
offenders and sexual predators.
Additional information about the U.S. Marshals Service can be found
at http://www.usmarshals.gov.

####America’s
First Federal Law Enforcement Agency

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Memphis, TN – On March 26, 2022, three juvenile homicide
suspects were arrested by the U.S. Marshals Two Rivers Violent Fugitive
Task Force. U.S. Marshal Tyreece Miller made the announcement today.On March 4, 2022, a male juvenile, age 15, was shot and killed at
the intersection of Beale Street and Riverside Drive in Memphis,
Tennessee. A female juvenile, age 16, was also struck by gunfire during
the incident.On March 25, 2022, warrants were issued for the
arrest of three male juveniles for this crime. The warrants were for
Reckless Homicide, Deploying a Firearm in Commission of a Dangerous
Felony, Aggravated Assault, and Reckless Endangerment with a Deadly
Weapon. The juveniles were aged 15, 15, and 16, respectively. The
fugitive cases were adopted by the U.S. Marshals Two Rivers Violent
Fugitive Task Force.Earlier today, working in conjunction with
the Shelby County Sheriff’s Fugitive Apprehension Team and the Memphis
Police Department Fugitive Apprehension Team, the three juveniles were
located and taken into custody without incident. One was arrested at a
residence near the 2500 block of Davey Drive, the second at a residence
near the 2000 block of Nedra, and the third at a residence near the 2000
block of Joe Brooks Drive. All three residences are in Memphis.The U.S. Marshals Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force is a
multi-agency task force in the Western District of Tennessee with
offices in Memphis and Jackson. Its membership is composed of Deputy
U.S. Marshals, Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputies, Memphis Police
Officers, Fayette County Sheriff’s Deputies, Jackson Police Officers,
and Special Agents with the Tennessee Department of Correction. The
primary mission of the Task Force is to arrest violent offenders and
sexual predators.
Additional information about the U.S. Marshals Service can be found
at http://www.usmarshals.gov.

####America’s
First Federal Law Enforcement Agency

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(Reuters) -A senior Ukrainian official accused Russia on Sunday of “irresponsible” acts around the occupied Chernobyl power station that could send radiation across much of Europe, and urged the United Nations to dispatch a mission to assess the risks.

Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said Russian forces were “militarising” the exclusion zone around the station, site of the world’s worst civil nuclear accident in 1986.

Russian forces, she said, were transporting large amounts of old and badly maintained weapons, creating a risk of damaging the containment vessel constructed around the station’s wrecked fourth reactor.

And Russian forces were preventing firefighters from bringing under control large numbers of fires in the zone.

“In the context of nuclear safety, the irresponsible and unprofessional actions of Russian servicemen present a very serious threat not only to Ukraine but to hundreds of millions of Europeans,” Vereshchuk said on her Telegram account.

“We therefore demand that the U.N. Security Council adopt immediate measures to demilitarise the exclusion zone around the Chernobyl station as well as dispatching a special mission to eliminate the risks of any repeat of the Chernobyl accident resulting from the actions of Russian occupying forces,” she said.

Vereshchuk said damage to the containment vessel, built with European financing, would “inevitably lead to the release in the atmosphere of a considerable amount of radioactive dust and contamination not only in Ukraine but also in other European countries”.

Russia, she said, was “ignoring these risks” by continuing to transport weapons in areas near the station.

Reuters could not immediately verify Vereshchuk’s claims on the ground. Russia has previously denied that its forces have put nuclear facilities inside Ukraine at risk.

The fire and explosion in 1986 in Chernobyl’s fourth reactor sent radiation wafting as far away as Britain and Spain. Thousands of deaths have been linked to the aftermath of the accident and the radiation it released.

All its reactors have now been taken out of service.

Russian forces occupied the Chernobyl station in the first days of the invasion last month and for a time prevented staff maintaining facilities there from leaving or being spelled off by other workers.

The mayor of Slavutych, the town created and built to house the plant’s staff in the aftermath of the 1986 accident, said early on Monday that Russian forces that took over the town at the weekend had now left.

Yuri Fomichev said in an online video post that the troops “hey completed the work they had set out to do” and were gone. He originally said three people had been killed in clashes. [L2N2VV04H]

The International Atomic Energy Agency said in a statement that it was closely monitoring the situation and expressed concern about the ability of staff to rotate in and out of the station.

(Writing by Ron Popeski; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Michael Perry)

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BUFFALO, NY – A convicted Buffalo felon is headed back to prison for between 3 1/2 to 7 years after being found guilty and sentenced for being in possession of illegal guns.

34-year-old Rinaldo R. McBride, also known as Rinaldo Vass, of Buffalo was arrested after law enforcement officials were tipped off about his illegal guns.

“Parole officers from the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision and the Buffalo Police Department Intelligence Unit received a tip that the defendant, who was on parole for a prior conviction, was in possession of a handgun,” Erie County District Attorney John Flynn said. “On September 16, 2020, at approximately 10:00 p.m., parole officers went to the defendant’s residence on Alma Avenue in the City of Buffalo to conduct a compliance search. Investigators found two illegally loaded handguns in an upstairs bedroom. One weapon was hidden between the mattress and the box spring of the bed. The second loaded gun was found inside of a diaper bag.”

Vass pleaded guilty to the lesser offenses on the day jury selection was scheduled to begin in his upcoming trial, Flynn said.

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BUFFALO, NY – This week, 20-year-old Evelyn M. Soto was sentenced to 18 years in prison with 5 additional years of supervised release for a murder she committed as a teen.

According to Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn, Erie County Court Judge James Bargnesi denied her youthful offender status.

“On Monday, October 28, 2019, the defendant killed 23-year-old Luis Alicea inside an apartment on Ivy Street in the City of Buffalo by beating him with a metal object. The victim died at the scene,” Flynn said.

Soto pleaded guilty to one count of manslaughter in the first degree on February 18, 2021.

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By Md Manzer Hussain

BENGALURU – Thailand’s central bank will not raise interest rates from a record low for more than a year in a bid to support an economy still struggling to recover from the pandemic despite a jump in inflation, a Reuters poll found.

While inflation in the tourism-dependent economy hit a 13-year high in February, driven mainly by higher energy prices, policymakers expect price pressures to be temporary.

But Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has triggered a spike in global energy and food prices that will make it harder for the Bank of Thailand (BOT) to contain inflation, as found by other central banks who until recently said high inflation was transitory.

Still, the BOT was expected to keep its policy accommodative to revive growth which has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels due to a subdued tourism recovery and tighter mobility restrictions.

All 22 economists in a March 16-25 Reuters poll predicted the BOT would leave its one-day repurchase rate at a record low of 0.50% at its March 30 meeting. Median forecasts showed no change in rates until the second quarter of 2023.

“Under the hood of an unchanged policy rate, the MPC is likely to deliberate on rising inflationary pressures amid elevated commodity prices and supply shocks, against a backdrop of a fragile economy that is facing high uncertainties and downside risks from geopolitics and the pandemic,” said Chua Han Teng, economist at DBS.

The BOT was predicted to raise rates to 0.75% in the second quarter of next year, making it the last Southeast Asian central bank to raise interest rates.

However, there was a near split among economists with six of 13 expecting no change to rates in the second quarter of next year, indicating weak conviction about the central bank’s policy direction.

Among the remaining seven, four were in line with the median view, two expected rates to reach 1.00% with a lone voice predicting 1.25%.

“The current situation makes it increasingly difficult for policymakers to strike a balance between managing risks to economic growth and price stability,” said Somprawin Manprasert, chief economist at Bank of Ayudhya.

(Reporting by Md. Manzer Hussain; Polling by Tushar Goenka and Devayani Sathyan; Editing by Hari Kishan, Jonathan Cable anad Alison Williams)

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By Indranil Sarkar

(Reuters) -Australia’s Star Entertainment Group said on Monday its chief executive officer Matt Bekier had tendered his resignation, amid an investigation over possible breaches of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism laws at its casinos.

The casino operator’s shares, which have fallen over 12% already this year, were down as much as 1.9%.

Bekier informed the board that as managing director and CEO, he is “accountable for the effectiveness and adequacy of the company’s processes, policies, people and culture,” adding that the right thing to do was for him to take responsibility, a company statement said.

Bekier’s decision to step down, effective immediately, followed issues raised at the public hearings in connection with the ongoing review of the Star Sydney hotel and casino, the company added in a statement. The Star Sydney is Australia’s second largest casino.

The Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) had launched a probe in June last year into Star’s casino in Sydney amid concerns over ongoing customer due diligence and compliance with laws.

Local media also had reported on a confidential review that accused Star of failure to curb fraud and money laundering at its two resorts.

“If Crown Resorts is a guide, we have a long way to go which could involve further management/board change and the now, very real possibility of Star losing its licence to operate, which could conceivably dash plans for an additional 1,000 Electronic Gaming Machines in Sydney,” Jefferies analysts wrote in a note.

Last week, an inquiry had declared rival casino operator Crown Resorts unfit for a gambling licence in Western Australia state, but stopped short of revoking it.

Bekier, who was also previously the chief financial officer of Star, will work with the board to transition his executive responsibilities, the company added. His final departure date is yet to be determined.

(Reporting by Indranil Sarkar in Bengaluru; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Rashmi Aich)

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(Reuters) -White House Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who was on a trip with U.S. President Joe Biden to Europe, said on Sunday that she had tested positive for COVID-19 but is not considered to have been in close contact with him.

“I last saw the President during a socially distanced meeting yesterday, and the President is not considered a close contact as defined by CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidance,” she said in a statement from the White House.

It did not say when Biden’s last negative test was conducted.

Last week, Press Secretary Jen Psaki tested positive for the coronavirus.

Jean-Pierre said she was vaccinated, only experiencing mild symptoms, and in line with White House protocols would return to work in-person after a five-day isolation period and a negative test.

(Reporting by Costas Pitas in Los Angeles and Michael Martina in Washington; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Michael Perry)

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