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The images of China’s brand new warplanes, which appeared online this week, is a bold “invitation” to an arms race for a next-generation fighter, Dmitry Stefanovich, a military researcher at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences, has told RT. The videos and photos posted to social media on December 26 show two previously unseen tailles jets – a larger diamond-shaped aircraft, and a smaller plane with an arrow-wing-shaped airframe. While Beijing stays silent on the matter, the display sparked discussion in international media, with some observers suggesting the aircraft could be the first sixth-generation fighter planes. “So far, we have only seen two variants of experimental aircraft,” Stefanovich said. “Presumably, one of them can be tailored for strike missions that involve attacks on ground and, perhaps, naval targets, while another one is tasked with dominating the skies and controlling the airspace.” The footage “demonstrates the general state of the development” of Chinese aircraft rather than sixth-generation planes specifically, the expert argued, noting that ‘sixth generation’ is a “loosely applied term.” Therefore, it is too early to draw definitive conclusions about the capabilities of the new planes, he said. Beijing will have to compete with American next-generation fighter programs, Stefanovich said. “While there are no game-changers on the horizon, China is explicitly inviting to participate in an arms race, at least in terms of quality,” he said. “We should not forget, however, that the US is the only country with an advanced-stage program for a new strategic bomber – the B-21 – which can be adapted for some of what we would call sixth-generation capabilities. The Chinese and Russian planes of comparable type have not taken off the ground yet,” Stefanovich said.None
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Southern comfort (and convenience)NEW YORK (AP) — Jay-Z says a rape allegation made against him is part of an extortion attempt. A woman who previously sued Sean “Diddy” Combs , alleging she was raped at an awards show after-party in 2000 when she was 13, amended the lawsuit Sunday to include a new allegation that Jay-Z was also at the party and participated in the sexual assault. The 24-time Grammy award winning rapper, producer and music mogul called the allegations “idiotic” and “heinous in nature" in a statement released by Roc Nation, one of his companies. His lawyer also argued Monday that his accuser, who is only identified as Jane Doe, should have to reveal her identity, or have her lawsuit dismissed outright. Attorney Alex Spiro said in a filing in Manhattan federal court that the woman hasn’t provided any specific evidence to justify her anonymity and that her “vague assertions of potential harm fall far short of the stringent requirements” under law. He also noted the court has already ruled that some of the other sexual misconduct lawsuits brought by the woman's attorney against Combs do not meet the criteria to proceed anonymously. “Mr. Carter deserves to know the identity of the person who is effectively accusing him — in sensationalized, publicity-hunting fashion — of criminal conduct, demanding massive financial compensation, and tarnishing a reputation earned over decades,” Spiro wrote. “He has never been accused of, let alone engaged in, any sexual misconduct.” Jay-Z, in his statement released earlier on social media, also revealed that he had anonymously sued the woman's lawyer, Tony Buzbee, alleging he was trying to blackmail the rapper by threatening to make the rape allegation public if he didn't agree to a legal settlement. He said Buzbee sent a letter to his lawyer appearing to seek a settlement, but the letter had the “opposite effect" on him. “It made me want to expose you for the fraud you are in a VERY public fashion,” Jay-Z's statement read. “So no, I will not give you ONE RED PENNY!!” The litigation is part of a wave of sexual assault lawsuits levied against Combs as the hip-hop mogul remains in custody in New York awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges . The unnamed woman says she was hanging around Radio City Music Hall during the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards and managed to talk a limousine driver into bringing her to a celebrity-studded party at a private residence after the event. She said that while she was in the limousine, she was asked to sign a nondisclosure document. Once at the party, the lawsuit said, she took a drink that made her feel “woozy and lightheaded” and went into a bedroom to lie down. She said that Combs and Jay-Z, whose legal name is Shawn Carter, then barged into the room along with another unnamed celebrity and raped her. The woman said she eventually escaped the room, fled the house and called for a ride from a nearby gas station. Buzbee, a personal injury lawyer in Houston, said the notion that he was trying to blackmail Jay-Z is “stupid and laughable,” and that his letter simply sought confidential mediation in the litigation. “What he fails to say in his recent statement is that my firm sent his lawyer a basic demand letter on behalf of an alleged victim and that victim never demanded a penny from him,” he said in an emailed statement. “Since I sent the letter on her behalf, Mr. Carter has not only sued me, but he has tried to bully and harass me and this plaintiff. His conduct has had the opposite impact. She is emboldened. I’m very proud of her resolve.” Buzbee announced at a news conference in October that he represents some 120 people — both men and women — with allegations of sexual misconduct against Combs. His firm, which has set up a 1-800 number for accusers, began filing a wave of suits against the hip-hop mogul a few weeks later. Jay-Z, in his statement, challenged Buzbee to seek criminal charges and said his “heart and support goes out to true victims in the world.” He also lamented that he and wife Beyoncé will likely have to address the claims with their three children and “explain the cruelty and greed of people.” “I mourn yet another loss of innocence,” Jay-Z wrote. Combs' lawyers, in a statement, also dismissed Buzbee’s lawsuits as “shameless publicity stunts, designed to extract payments from celebrities who fear having lies spread about them, just as lies have been spread about Mr. Combs.” Combs was denied bail a third time last month. He’s pleaded not guilty to charges he coerced and abused women for years and faces trial in May. Jay-Z and Combs are part of a generation of hip-hop titans who rose to prominence in the 2000s, emerging as wide-ranging entrepreneurs and two of the world’s wealthiest rappers. Earlier this year, Forbes estimated Jay-Z’s net worth to be $2.5 billion. The artists have collaborated over the years, with Jay-Z being featured on Combs' debut album, “No Way Out” and Combs appearing on Jay-Z’s sophomore album, “In My Lifetime, Vol. 1.” While the pair has been frequently photographed together at events, they've also been competitors. Diddy launched his Bad Boy Records around the same time Jay-Z launched his Roc-A-Fella record label. AP Music Writer Maria Sherman in New York contributed to this story. Follow Philip Marcelo at twitter.com/philmarcelo .
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Permanent housing solutions needed for people living in encampments, Dal prof says Mayor Andy Fillmore campaigned on trying to do away with a list of potential encampments in Halifax. But a motion to scrap the list was defeated. For reaction, watch Tom Murphy's interview with Jeff Karabanow with the Dalhousie School of Social Work.Sheldon Museum of Art director Susan Longhenry is aiming to bring the community back to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln museum with new hours, traveling exhibitions and public programming. Shortly after she became director of the Sheldon Museum of Art in August 2023, Susan Longhenry walked from her Haymarket home to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus on a Husker football Saturday. She wasn’t going to work. Sheldon had, for years, been closed on home gamedays, out of concern about security of the art and because of too many Husker fans coming into the museum not to see the art but to use the restrooms. “I just wanted to see for myself what campus was like,” Longhenry said. “I didn't know if I would see kind of dangerous things happening. I just saw a joyous community gathering. And I looked up and saw it against the dark Sheldon. That moment, I really committed to trying to engage with that experience as much as possible.” Some of that commitment to community engagement also grew out of a series of conversations with Sheldon “stakeholders” — collectors and board members, university faculty and staff, artists and community members — that Longhenry held over her first few months in Lincoln. People are also reading... “What I heard out of that was a very interesting sense of duality, that at various points in the life of the museum, it had been totally focused on the campus audience, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and at other points that have been focused on the Lincoln community and perhaps less so on the campus,” Longhenry said. “I heard that recently, there had been more of a focus on the campus, and I heard a hunger from the Lincoln community to be more engaged with the museum again. That has driven all of our decisions since.” That near-exclusive focus on the campus began a decade ago when Wally Mason became Sheldon director and chief curator. Switching the museum’s exhibition schedule to match the academic calendar, Mason appointed a curator of academic engagement who worked with faculty and staff across the university, presented exhibitions from the permanent collection aimed at students and studies and largely ended programming, like a Day of the Dead celebration, that targeted off-campus audiences. Longhenry, however, doesn’t see a reason to divide campus and community. That, she said, is particularly the case for Lincoln and the UNL museum with its Philip Johnson building paid for in the 1960s with funds from the Sheldon family and its collection acquired largely from donations, purchases from bequests and by the Nebraska Art Association, the museum’s decades-long support group. “Fortunately for me, that's a false duality," Longhenry said. “I believe that the magic power of the academic museum is that we are a nexus where the campus and the community come together.” In fact, Longhenry explored the campus/community nexus when she led Marquette University’s Haggard Museum of Art in a strategic program focusing on community assets and citizen participation that she recounted for the American Alliance of Museums. So Longhenry changed Sheldon’s hours, not only on football Saturdays but by opening during UNL’s winter break and on Sundays. Appropriately, in April, Sheldon invited the community to celebrate the new hours with Sundaes at Sheldon. Sheldon Museum of Art Director Susan Longhenry (center) serves ice cream during Sundaes at Sheldon, celebrating the museum opening on Sundays. “It’s been important for access, but it also sends a message,” Longhenry said. “If your hours are aligned with when people can actually come, I think that’s much more welcoming.” The new hours are also, in a sense, symbolic of the changes that Longhenry is bringing to Sheldon. “I believe firmly in centering visitors and asking yourself, ‘What's it like to walk into a museum for the first time, if you don't know it,’” Longhenry said. “We realize that we have this incredibly inspiring space that is beloved by many, but it can be a little intimidating. So we made some changes. “We want to make sure that, first of all, we’re open when you can come and when you walk in the door, you feel welcomed, that you have the tools you need to have a great experience.” That has led to moving the welcome desk, strengthening the visitor center and changes in signage. It has also seen the return of public events. On Halloween, the Sheldon Museum of Art provided flashlights to visitors for exploring darkened galleries housing the exhibition “Uncanny Encounters: The Disturbing, Surreal, and Supernatural in American Art.” Shedon Museum of Art visitors look at artwork using flashlights during "Uncanny Halloween." The "Uncanny Halloween" event drew a couple of hundred people who “really looked at the art,” taking their time to study paintings and sculptures using the flashlights, said Ann Gradwohl, Sheldon’s public relations and marketing manager. The stakeholders also expressed a desire for the return of traveling exhibitions to the Sheldon. That last traveling exhibition at the museum was a 2019 show of paintings by Maine artist John Walker. “I think the broader context (of the desire for traveling exhibitions) is the role that this museum has always, since 1888, played in terms of bringing great art to the people of Nebraska — and the people here want to experience it," Longhenry said. “So it's a balance.” Half of that balance is evident in the permanent collection galleries, where many of Sheldon’s iconic pieces, including Edward Hopper’s “Room in New York,” Mark Rothko’s “Yellow Band,” Willem de Kooning’s “Woman” and Norman Rockwell’s “The County Agricultural Agent” can be seen in the thematically installed spaces. “We have a great collection here, and one of the things I did do is bring back 'collection highlights,' which is the idea that we do have people who travel here who want to see the Hopper, they want to see the Rothko, it should not be in storage,” Longhenry said. “So we have brought back the idea of having some of the most iconic works of art that will be installed thematically.” The other half of the balance will be seen Feb. 7, when “Exploding Native Inevitable,” a traveling exhibition organized by the Bates College Museum of Art, comes to the Sheldon. “Exploding Native Inevitable” is an exhibition of the work of 12 contemporary Native artists and two collaboratives, accompanied by an ongoing program of dance, film, music, performance, readings, storytelling and video. Omaha artist Sarah Rowe, who is of Lakota and Ponca descent, is a member of the New Red Order collective and will have work in the show. “We're also bringing in an exhibition of work by Grace Hartigan, and that's in 2026,” Longhenry said. “We stake our claim on having a great collection of work by the New York School artists. But its women are not as represented as they could be, and she, in particular. This is just going to be a gorgeous show with big paintings.” Hartigan, one of the five “Ninth Street Women” who abandoned life as a New Jersey housewife and mother to become one of the boldest painters of mid-century abstract expressionism, is not represented in Sheldon’s acclaimed collection of 20th- and 21st-century American art. “There are some obvious choices that I would love to make in the future,” Longhenry said of the potential purchase of a Hartigan painting. “I think it’s important to be strategic. To be honest, I don't think it should be just what I happen to like. We're going to take a much more strategic approach to developing a collections plan. For the most part, I want to look at strengths, look at gaps, decide whether we're going to build on strengths or are we going to try to fill gaps?” “I will say that we've got an incredible strength with modern and contemporary American art. I do want to kind of interrogate that canon and what do we mean by American art?” she said. “I know there have been points in Sheldon's history where that has happened. I certainly want to do that.” One area that Longhenry said Sheldon will explore and almost certainly make purchases is in new media and its intersection between digital production and fine art. Sheldon has been reluctant to collect video art since the form appeared in the mid-1960s and has not actively pursued or exhibited new media works. “The explanation I've heard is because the building has trouble supporting it,” Longhenry said. “I feel like we can get around that. I think if we are developing an important collection — and this is nationally and internationally important — I think we have overlooked that aspect of it and we need to take a look at that.” On Jan. 21, Sheldon visitors can get a sampling of new media possibilities with the opening of “Infinite Hopper: An Algorithmic Journey Through Light and Space.” Created by Dan “NovySan” Novy, a UNL assistant professor of emerging media arts, the exhibition uses generative technology to produce an endless flow of Hopper-inspired imagery that never repeats or loops, integrating Sheldon’s works by the artist, especially “Room in New York.” That exhibition is also, Longhenry pointed out, evidence that Sheldon is not turning its back on the campus. And, with its creation by a professor, and a cadre of film and new media students, it should draw another audience to the museum. And, Longhenry said, she’s got no issue with anyone who wants to stop at Sheldon to use the facilities any time, asking “Why wouldn’t you want people to use the restroom?” The 10 most valuable pieces of public art in Lincoln 1. Ascent, Tower Square Artist Jun Kaneko's glass tower, Ascent, lights up the Lincoln Community Foundation Tower Square at 13th and P streets. It is valued at $1,150,000. 2. Harvest, Pinnacle Bank Arena "Harvest," which stands in front of Pinnacle Bank Arena at Canopy and R streets is valued at $1,022,000 and was paid for using money set aside for artwork during the arena's original planning. The artist is Michael Carpenter. 3. Standing Bear Sculpture, Centennial Mall Sculptor Ben Victor (behind) watches as descendants of Chief Standing Bear help to unveil his sculpture on Centennial Mall. The sculpture is valued at $150,000. 4. Groundwater Colossus, Union Bank Groundwater Colossus, the giant brick head by New York sculptor James Tyler, is made of more than 300 individually shaped bricks. It stands at Union Plaza and is valued at $125,000. 5. Buffalo, Pioneers Park "Buffalo" by George Gaudet, stands at the east entrance of Pioneers Park off Coddington Avenue. 6. Iron Horse Legacy Mural, Haymarket The Iron Horse Legacy Mural in Bill Harris Iron Horse Park by Jay Tschetter in the Haymarket is valued at $200,000. Another Tschetter's mural is on the F Street Community Center. 7. Mountain Monarch, Pioneers Park Mountain Monarch, by Rich Haines, stands at the Pioneers Park north entrance, off West Van Dorn Street. The sculpture is one of two at Pioneers Park that make the top 10 most valuable list of public art in Lincoln. 8. Pitch, Roll & Yaw, Lincoln Airport Pitch, Roll & Yaw, a sculpture by Lincoln artist Shannon Hansen, is lifted into place at the entrance to the Lincoln Airport in July 2015. The piece, in the shape of a giant paper airplane, is valued at $120,000. 9. Reflection, Salt Creek Roadway The sculpture "Reflection," by Albert Paley, sits at Ninth Street and Salt Creek Parkway. The sculpture previously was on display in New York as part of the "Paley on Park Avenue" exhibition. It is valued at $100,000. Palo Alto I Sculptor and artist John Buck unveils his public art installation, "Palo Alto 1", during a dedication ceremony in May 2016 in the Rotary Strolling Garden, 27th Street and Capitol Parkway. The pieces is valued at $72,000. Reach the writer at 402-473-7244 or kwolgamott @journalstar.com . On Twitter @KentWolgamott Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly! Entertainment reporter/columnist {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.Andrew met the individual through “official channels” with “nothing of a sensitive nature ever discussed”, a statement from his office said. The businessman – known only as H6 – lost an appeal over a decision to bar him from entering the UK on national security grounds. He brought a case to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) after then-home secretary Suella Braverman said he should be excluded from the UK in March 2023. H6 was described as a “close confidante” of The Duke. Judges were told that in a briefing for the home secretary in July 2023, officials claimed H6 had been in a position to generate relationships between prominent UK figures and senior Chinese officials “that could be leveraged for political interference purposes”. They also said that H6 had downplayed his relationship with the Chinese state, which combined with his relationship with Andrew, 64, represented a threat to national security. A statement from Andrew’s office said: “The Duke of York followed advice from His Majesty’s Government and ceased all contact with the individual after concerns were raised. “The Duke met the individual through official channels with nothing of a sensitive nature ever discussed. “He is unable to comment further on matters relating to national security.” At a hearing in July, the specialist tribunal heard that the businessman was told by an adviser to Andrew that he could act on the duke’s behalf when dealing with potential investors in China, and that H6 had been invited to Andrew’s birthday party in 2020. A letter referencing the birthday party from the adviser, Dominic Hampshire, was discovered on H6’s devices when he was stopped at a port in November 2021. In a ruling on Thursday, Mr Justice Bourne, Judge Stephen Smith and Sir Stewart Eldon, dismissed the challenge.
The run-heavy Eagles have decided they don’t want to go through the rest of the season without a fullback. After losing linebacker/fullback Ben VanSumeren late last week to a knee injury that sent him to injured reserve, the team used tight end Grant Calcaterra in that role Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens. Calcaterra, however, will likely have to move into the role of the No. 1 tight end after Dallas Goedert suffered a knee injury against the Ravens that could keep him out for at least Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers.
California to consider requiring mental health warnings on social media sites
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California, home to some of the largest technology companies in the world, would be the first U.S. state to require mental health warning labels on social media sites if lawmakers pass a bill introduced Monday. The legislation sponsored by state Attorney General Rob Bonta is necessary to bolster safety for children online, supporters say, but industry officials vow to fight the measure and others like it under the First Amendment. Warning labels for social media gained swift bipartisan support from dozens of attorneys general, including Bonta, after U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called on Congress to establish the requirements earlier this year, saying social media is a contributing factor in the mental health crisis among young people. “These companies know the harmful impact their products can have on our children, and they refuse to take meaningful steps to make them safer,” Bonta said at a news conference Monday. “Time is up. It’s time we stepped in and demanded change.” State officials haven't provided details on the bill, but Bonta said the warning labels could pop up once weekly. Up to 95% of youth ages 13 to 17 say they use a social media platform, and more than a third say that they use social media “almost constantly,” according to 2022 data from the Pew Research Center. Parents’ concerns prompted Australia to pass the world’s first law banning social media for children under 16 in November. “The promise of social media, although real, has turned into a situation where they’re turning our children’s attention into a commodity,” Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, who authored the California bill, said Monday. “The attention economy is using our children and their well-being to make money for these California companies.” Lawmakers instead should focus on online safety education and mental health resources, not warning label bills that are “constitutionally unsound,” said Todd O’Boyle, a vice president of the tech industry policy group Chamber of Progress. “We strongly suspect that the courts will set them aside as compelled speech,” O’Boyle told The Associated Press. Victoria Hinks' 16-year-old daughter, Alexandra, died by suicide four months ago after being “led down dark rabbit holes” on social media that glamorized eating disorders and self-harm. Hinks said the labels would help protect children from companies that turn a blind eye to the harm caused to children’s mental health when they become addicted to social media platforms. “There's not a bone in my body that doubts social media played a role in leading her to that final, irreversible decision,” Hinks said. “This could be your story." Common Sense Media, a sponsor of the bill, said it plans to lobby for similar proposals in other states. California in the past decade has positioned itself as a leader in regulating and fighting the tech industry to bolster online safety for children. The state was the first in 2022 to bar online platforms from using users’ personal information in ways that could harm children. It was one of the states that sued Meta in 2023 and TikTok in October for deliberately designing addictive features that keep kids hooked on their platforms. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, also signed several bills in September to help curb the effects of social media on children, including one to prohibit social media platforms from knowingly providing addictive feeds to children without parental consent and one to limit or ban students from using smartphones on school campus. Federal lawmakers have held hearings on child online safety and legislation is in the works to force companies to take reasonable steps to prevent harm. The legislation has the support of X owner Elon Musk and the President-elect’s son, Donald Trump Jr . Still, the last federal law aimed at protecting children online was enacted in 1998, six years before Facebook’s founding.28mm vs 35mm: Which Focal Length Is Best for Street and Travel Photography?
