The Full Belmonte, 5/14/2023
Erdogan’s leadership in the balance as Turkey votes in pivotal elections
By SUZAN FRASER and ZEYNEP BILGINSOY
A woman votes at a polling station in Diyarbakir, Turkey, Sunday, May 14, 2023. Voters in Turkey are heading to the polls on Sunday for landmark parliamentary and presidential elections that are expected to be tightly contested and could be the biggest challenge Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan faces in his two decades in power. (AP Photo/Metin Yoksu)
“ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey is voting Sunday in landmark parliamentary and presidential elections that are expected to be tightly contested and could be the biggest challenge President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has faced in his two decades in power.
The vote will either grant the increasingly authoritarian Erdogan a new five-year term in office or set the NATO member country on what his opposition contender calls a more democratic path.
Polling began at 8 a.m. (0500 GMT) and will close at 5 p.m. (1400 GMT). Media organizations are barred from reporting partial results until an embargo is lifted at 9 p.m. (1800 GMT). There are no exit polls.
For the first time in his 20 years in office, opinion polls indicate that the populist Erdogan, 69, is entering a race trailing behind an opponent. Opinion surveys have given a slight lead to Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the 74-year-old leader of the center-left, pro-secular Republican People’s Party, or CHP, and the joint candidate of a united opposition alliance. If neither candidate receives more than 50% of the votes, the presidential race will be determined in a run-off on May 28….” Read more at AP News
Undocumented migrant crossings dropped on Friday, the first day after Title 42 was lifted
‘CBP stopped just over 6,200 undocumented migrants on Friday compared with roughly 11,000 on Tuesday and Wednesday and 10,000 on Thursday.
A migrant asks U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials about new asylum rules in Tijuana, Mexico, on May 11, 2023. Gregory Bull / AP
By Julia Ainsley and Minyvonne Burke
“Migrants crossing the border without documentation dropped on Friday, the first day after Title 42 was lifted, two U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials told NBC News.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection stopped just over 6,200 undocumented migrants on Friday compared with roughly 11,000 on Tuesday and Wednesday, and 10,000 on Thursday, the officials said.
These numbers include both migrants who cross illegally between ports of entry — more than 7,000 of them on Friday — and those who present themselves legally at ports of entry without proper entry documents….” Read more at NBC News
Powerful Cyclone Mocha makes landfall in Myanmar, tearing off roofs and killing at least 3
By JULHAS ALAM
Rescue workers remove the fallen tress after a storm in Teknaf, near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, Sunday, May 14, 2023. Bangladesh and Myanmar braced Sunday as a severe cyclone started to hit coastal areas and authorities urged thousands of people in both countries to seek shelter. (AP Photo/Al-emrun Garjon)
“DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Thousands of people hunkered down Sunday in monasteries, pagodas and schools, seeking shelter from a powerful storm that slammed into the coast of Myanmar, tearing the roofs off buildings and killing at least three people.
The center of Cyclone Mocha made landfall Sunday afternoon in Myanmar’s Rakhine state near Sittwe township wind speeds up to 209 kpm (130 mph), Myanmar’s Meteorological Department said.
Myanmar’s military information office said the storm had damaged houses, electrical transformers, cell phone towers, boats and lampposts in Sittwe, Kyaukpyu, and Gwa townships. It said the storm also tore roofs off of sport buildings on the Coco Islands, about 425 kilometers (264 miles) southwest of the country’s largest city, Yangon.
More than 4,000 of Sittwe’s 300,000 residents were evacuated to other cities and more than 20,000 people are sheltering in sturdy buildings such as monasteries, pagodas and schools located on the city’s highlands, said Tin Nyein Oo, who is volunteering in shelters in Sittwe….” Read more at AP News
North Carolina governor vetoes abortion limits, launches override showdown
By HANNAH SCHOENBAUM and GARY D. ROBERTSON
North Carolina Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper affixes his veto stamp to a bill banning nearly all abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy at a public rally Saturday, May 13, 2023, in Raleigh, N.C. The veto launches a major test for leaders of the GOP-controlled General Assembly to attempt to override Cooper’s veto after they recently gained veto-proof majorities in both chambers. (AP Photo/Hannah Schoenbaum)
“RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — In front of an exuberant crowd, North Carolina’s Democratic governor vetoed legislation Saturday that would have banned nearly all abortions in his state after 12 weeks of pregnancy.
Abortion-rights activists and voters watched on a plaza in the capital of Raleigh as Gov. Roy Cooper affixed his veto stamp to the bill in an unconventionally public display. The veto launches a major test for leaders of the GOP-controlled General Assembly to attempt an override vote after they recently gained veto-proof majorities in both chambers. The bill was the Republican response to last year’s U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade.
‘We’re going to have to kick it into an even higher gear when that veto stamp comes down,’ Cooper told the crowd. ‘If just one Republican in either the House or the Senate keeps a campaign promise to protect women’s reproductive health, we can stop this ban.’”…. Read more at AP News
Cyclone Mocha threatens world’s largest refugee camp on Myanmar-Bangladesh border
Predicted to make landfall on Sunday, preparations are under way for a partial evacuation of the camp in Cox’s Bazar
“Tropical cyclone Mocha intensified to become “very dangerous”, the World Meteorological Organisation has said, warning of violent winds, floods and possible landslides in Bangladesh which could hit the world’s biggest refugee camp in Cox’s bazar.
Cyclone Mocha is predicted to make landfall on Sunday near the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, according to India’s meteorological office, packing winds of up to 175km/h (108mph).
The office predicted a storm surge of between two and two-and-a-half metres (six to eight feet) for the low-lying coastal region, which on the Bangladeshi side is home to sprawling camps hosting hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees. Most of them fled there after a military-led crackdown in Myanmar in 2017.
UN refugee agency spokesperson Olga Sarrado said preparations were under way for a partial evacuation of the camp, if needed. The agency was also preparing tens of thousands of hot meals and jerrycans, she said.
The World Health Organisation said it was pre-positioning 33 mobile medical teams and 40 ambulances as well as emergency surgery and cholera kits for the camp.
In Myanmar, the WHO was pre-positioning 500,000 water purification tablets among other supplies which amount to the entire monsoon season stocks….” Read more at The Guardian
Germany Announces Its Biggest Military Aid Package Yet for Ukraine
The nearly $3 billion package is part of an effort by both sides to reset rocky relations, which have become increasingly important to maintaining European unity in backing the war.
By Erika Solomon and Christopher F. Schuetze
“Germany on Saturday sent the strongest signal yet of its commitment to backing Ukraine in its battle against Russian occupiers, promising more tanks, armored vehicles and substantial air defense systems in its largest weapons package for Kyiv.
The arms package, totaling 2.7 billion euros, or about $2.95 billion, amounted to roughly as much as Germany’s total military aid to Ukraine since the war began in February 2022.
The move was part of a budding effort by Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine to draw a line under a year of rocky relations over Germany’s hesitancy to provide weapons and solidify a partnership that may prove increasingly critical to maintaining European unity in backing the war.
With elections looming in the United States next year, concern is growing in European capitals that President Biden will become less willing to showcase support for Ukraine, given the potential for Republicans to use the issue against him during the presidential campaign. Europe fears an even sharper drop in support for Ukraine should a Republican win the presidency next year….” Read more at New York Times
Ukraine says it has retaken territory near embattled eastern city of Bakhmut
By SAMYA KULLAB
A military medic give first aid to a wounded soldier on the road near Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Thursday, May 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Boghdan Kutiepov)
“KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian military commanders said Friday that their troops had recaptured more territory from Russian forces at the scene of the war’s longest and bloodiest battle, for the eastern city of Bakhmut, but it wasn’t clear if this marked the start of Kyiv’s long-expected counteroffensive.
Russia’s Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said Ukrainian forces had stepped up attacks north of the region while denying speculation by Russian military bloggers that the Kyiv forces had achieved ‘defense breakthroughs.’
The 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) of territory that Ukrainian forces south of Bakhmut retook this week represented a significant gain and will protect an important supply chain, according to commanders of Ukraine’s 3rd Separate Assault Brigade, a special forces unit that led the attack.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he met with the top military commanders Friday, noting that Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi reported his forces ‘stopped the enemy and even pushed him back in some directions.’…” Read more at AP News
A hot chicken nugget burned a 4-year-old. A Florida jury says McDonald's is liable.
Associated Press
“FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — McDonald's and a franchise holder are at fault after a hot Chicken McNugget from a Happy Meal fell on a little girl's leg and caused second-degree burns, a jury in South Florida found in a case reminiscent of the famous hot coffee lawsuit of the 1990s.
A second jury will determine how much McDonald's USA and its franchise owner, Upchurch Foods, will pay the child and her mother, the South Florida SunSentinel reported.
Thursday's decision was split, with jurors finding the franchise holder liable for negligence and failure to warn customers about the risk of hot food, and McDonald's USA liable for failing to provide instructions for safe handling of the food. McDonald's USA was not found to be negligent, and the jury dismissed the argument that the product was defective.
‘Our sympathies go out to this family for what occurred in this unfortunate incident, as we hold customer safety as one of our highest priorities,’ McDonald's owner-operator Brent Upchurch said in a statement. ‘We are deeply disappointed with today's verdict because the facts show that our restaurant in Tamarac, Florida did indeed follow those protocols when cooking and serving this Happy Meal.’
Jurors heard two days of testimony and arguments about the 2019 episode that left the 4-year-old girl with a burned upper thigh.
Philana Holmes testified that she bought Happy Meals for her son and then-4-year-old daughter at a drive-thru window at a McDonald's in Tamarac, near Fort Lauderdale, the SunSentinel reported. She handed the food to her children, who were in the back seat.
After she drove away, her daughter started screaming. The mother testified she didn't know what was wrong until she pulled over to help the girl, Olivia Caraballo, who is now 7, the newspaper reported. She saw the burn on the girl's leg and took photos on her iPhone, which included audio clips of the child's screams.
The sound of the girl's screams were played in court. The child, who is autistic, did not testify, the newspaper reported.
Lawyers for McDonald's noted that the food had to be hot to avoid salmonella poisoning, and that the nuggets were not meant to be pressed between a seat belt and human flesh for more than two minutes….” Read more at USA Today
Golden State Falls to Lakers, Ending Title Hopes and Starting Uncertain Future
Golden State isn’t used to getting eliminated this early in the playoffs. Now, it will face questions about how to sustain its run since 2015 as a top contender.
By Sopan Deb
“LOS ANGELES — Whoops, shouts, music and a rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday” were so loud inside the Lakers locker room that they could be heard out in the hallways. Outside Golden State’s locker room, there was silence, as those inside assessed what had gone so wrong this season.
To the victor goes the noise. To the defeated goes an unusually early and sullen vacation.
The reigning champion Golden State’s freewheeling, 3-point-centric style of play changed the N.B.A. and made Stephen Curry a household name. But on Friday night, the team couldn’t muster up one last overwhelming flurry of deep shots, bowing out to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games in the Western Conference semifinals.
It marked the first time a West team had defeated Golden State in the playoffs during its dynastic run, which began in 2015 with the first of four championships led by Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. But this season was among the most difficult of the last decade, marred by long absences for key players, a confounding inability to win on the road, struggling young players, and the fallout from Green punching a teammate, Jordan Poole, before the season even started….” Read more at New York Times
Swedish singer Loreen wins Eurovision Song Contest for 2nd time at event feting Ukraine
By JILL LAWLESS
Loreen of Sweden celebrates with the trophy after winning the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool, England, Saturday, May 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
“LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Swedish singer Loreen won the Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday night with her power ballad “Tattoo,” at a colorful, eclectic music competition clouded for a second year running by the war in Ukraine.
The diva from Stockholm beat acts from 25 other countries to take the continent’s pop crown at the final of the competition in Liverpool. Finnish singer Käärijä was second in a close-fought battle of the Nordic neighbors.
Loreen, 39, previously won Eurovision in 2012 and is only the second performer to take the prize twice, after Ireland’s Johnny Logan in the 1980s. It’s Sweden’s seventh Eurovision victory, matching Ireland’s record….” Read more at AP News
Rarely-seen Basquiat paintings reunited 41 years after canceled show
Gareth Harris
Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat/2022, ProLitteris, Zurich
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published by The Art Newspaper, an editorial partner of CNN Style.
CNN —
“More than four decades after Jean-Michel Basquiat and his gallerists canceled a contentious exhibition in Italy featuring eight newly commissioned paintings, a new exhibition is reuniting all of the works for the first time.
“Basquiat: The Modena Paintings,” which will open next month at the Fondation Beyeler in Basel, Switzerland, includes “The Guilt of Gold Teeth,” which sold for $40 million at Christie’s in 2021.
In 1982, the Italian gallerist Emilio Mazzoli invited Basquiat to make the works for a one-off show, providing work premises and painting supplies. The graffiti artist painted over discarded canvases used by another artist, Mario Schifano, scrawling “Modena” on the back. But complications over payment of the works led to the cancellation of the planned exhibition in Europe just as he was reaching worldwide fame.
Each of the large-scale works are now held in eight separate private collections in the US, Asia and Switzerland.
One of the eight Modena works, "Untitled, 1982," sold for $85 million in May 2022.
Tolga Akmen/AFP/Getty Images
In a 1985 interview with the New York Times, Basquiat outlined how much he disliked the Modena experience. ‘They set it up for me so I’d have to make eight paintings in a week,’ he said. Meanwhile, working in the provided warehouse premises felt to him ‘like a factory, a sick factory,’ he added. ‘I hated it.’ The works found new buyers via Basquiat’s New York dealer at the time, Annina Nosei.
The “Modena Paintings” share several motifs and stylistic features, according to a Fondation Beyeler statement, including ‘a monumental, often black figure set against a background of broad, gestural and expressive brushstrokes… the human and the animal body take center stage.’
Sam Keller, the director of the Fondation Beyeler, told The Art Newspaper: ‘With every next generation, the importance of Basquiat’s work is increasing further. His combination of images and words referring to high and popular culture, history, science, social and economic injustice was truly ahead of his time and more relevant today than ever. The Modena paintings were created over 40 years ago and have never been shown together before. It’s going to be exciting to finally reunite them.’
The average insurance value of each of these works is $100 million with the group of eight works totaling $800 million, according to the Fondation Beyeler.
The market boom for Basquiat continues with major works by the late US street artist dominating sales season in New York this month. “Moon View,” from 1984, from the collection of the late music mogul Mo Ostin, will go on the block at Sotheby’s on May 16, with a high estimate of $10 million. That same week, Christie’s is offering “El Gran Espectaculo (The Nile),” from 1983, from the collection of Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani, on May 15 with an estimate in the region of $45 million.
Top image: “The Guilt of Gold Teeth” by Basquiat.” [CNN]
Bobi, the world’s oldest dog, celebrates 31st birthday
By Zoe Sottile, CNN
Bobi at his home in Conqueiros, Portugal, on February 12, 2023.
Patricia de Melo Moreira/AFP/Getty Images
CNN —
“The world’s oldest dog is living it up in his 30s.
Bobi, a Portuguese pooch who was declared the world’s oldest dog by Guinness World Records in February, celebrated his 31st birthday on Thursday, according to a news release from Guinness.. There's a new world's oldest living dog -- and he's the oldest ever recorded
Bobi’s family planned a Saturday birthday party at his home in Conqueiros, a rural village in southern Portugal….
Bobi is a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo, a breed of Portuguese dog trained to guard livestock, according to his owner. As he’s gotten older, he has had difficulties walking and also experienced a decline in his eyesight.
Costa attributed his dog’s longevity in part to the ‘calm, peaceful environment’ where he lives….” Read more at CNN