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CSi Weather…
TODAY…Sunny.Highs around 60.
Northeast winds 5 to 10 mph shifting to the southeast in the afternoon.
.TONIGHT…Mostly cloudy. Lows in the lower 40s. East winds 5 to 10 mph.
.TUESDAY…Cloudy with a 40 percent chance of rain showers in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 50s. East winds 15 to 25 mph.
.TUESDAY NIGHT…Rain showers. Windy. Lows in the lower 40s. East
winds 20 to 30 mph.
.WEDNESDAY…Rain. Highs in the upper 50s. East
winds 15 to 20 mph.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of rain
showers. Lows in the mid 40s.
.THURSDAY…Partly sunny. Highs in the mid 60s.
.THURSDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy. Chance of rain showers and
slight chance of thunderstorms in the evening, then rain showers
likely after midnight. Lows in the upper 40s. Chance of
precipitation 70 percent.
.FRIDAY…Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of rain showers.
Highs in the lower 60s.
.FRIDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of rain
showers and thunderstorms in the evening, then partly cloudy
after midnight. Lows in the mid 40s.
.SATURDAY…Mostly sunny. Slight chance of rain showers in the
afternoon. Highs in the mid 60s.
.SATURDAY NIGHT…Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 40s.
.SUNDAY…Partly sunny. A 30 percent chance of rain showers in
the afternoon. Highs in the mid 60s.
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Snow in May in North Dakota is not all that unusual — and not all that much fun for some.
The North Dakota Department of Transportation on Saturday issued a travel alert for southwestern North Dakota for blowing snow. The DOT is reporting slippery road conditions and reduced visibility in Dickinson, Beach, Richardton and surrounding areas.
DOT spokeswoman Peggy Anderson says there were two travel alerts issued because of wintry weather in May of 2015, one for the south central part of the state and one for the north central region.
Melrene Carlson, cashier at the County Line Truck Stop north of Dickinson, said the snow “is really coming down” and her customers have reported numerous accidents.
Carlson was taking the weather in stride because “after all, it’s spring in North Dakota.”
A wet and cool week is in store, with confidence remaining high in
two systems delivering widespread rain to the area centered on the
Tuesday night/Wednesday and Thursday night/Friday time periods.
Most areas,will receive from 1 to 1.5 inches of rain along the ND/SD border, to 0.50 inches from Watford City to Minot, and around 0.25 inches along the Canadian border.
Thunderstorms across central ND Thursday night and Friday.
. From the 125th Anniversary Calendar of Jamestown History.
This Day In History, May 20, 1946 – Northern Airway has two flights into Jamestown. . .
Northern Airways announce two daily flights into and out of Jamestown
Jamestown (CSi) The Jamestown Rural Fire Department responded to a fire just after noon Saturday that destroyed a farm’s shed containing a machine shop and equipment, located at 3188 88th Avenue, Southeast.
Rural Fire Chief Brian Paulson says the shop shed was destroyed, with the cause under investigation.
Five rural fire units and 18 fire fighters battled the flames for about an hour and a half.
Valley City (CSi) The Valley City Area Chamber of Commerce is running the “StreetScape Cash Drawings,” in cooperation with businesses in downtown blocks affected by the on-going project.
On Friday’s Wayne Byers Show on CSi Cable 2, Valley City Area Chamber of Commerce, Executive Director, Kay Vinje said, those going into those businesses, can sign up at for the weekly, “Construction Cash,” drawing with the winner, each week, receiving $100 in Chamber Bucks. The first week’s drawing winner was Judy Stahl.
Kay added as the project moves on to more blocks, those affected businesses may join in having the drawing boxes available to customers to enter into more weekly drawings on Friday each week, for another $100 in Chamber Bucks.
Those names will remain in the final drawing, at the end of the project, with the final prize $1,000 in Chamber Bucks.
Jamestown (CSi) The Jamestown Arts Center is taking sign ups for the Kids Summer Camps, that start on June 3.
On Friday’s Wayne Byers Show on CSi Cable 2 Arts Center, Director, Mindi Schmitz said June 3-6 the topic is Watercolor Sketching with Linda Roesch, June 10-13 it’s Wonderful World of Warli Western India art, with Sally Jeppson. June 17- 20 the camp involves ND Pride with Jennifer Wentz with landscapes sunrises and sunsets. More information and sign ups by contacting the Jamestown Arts Center.
On our show, Mindi also pointed out that the Arts Center is partnering with the Great Plains Food bank to offer students a summer meal program at the Hansen Arts Park, starting June 3rd. The Arts Center is providing space to store the meals and a location for distribution.
North Dakota Farmers Union, Unison Bank, The Jamestown Sun and First Community Credit Union have volunteered to help distribute the meals Monday – Thursday at 12:00 pm.
No qualification and no registration required.
Mindi added that the current exhibit is The Arts of Warli By Vaishali Mohite, on display through Jun 15. Each painting is a snapshot of village life at a region in India.
In conjunction with the exhibit, there will be an Exhibit Luncheon on Wednesday May 19, at noon at the Arts Center, hosted by Gallery Manager, Sally Jeppson, to hear more about the exhibit and Sally’s Warlie Adventures.
A homemade lunch will be available for $5. RSVP by calling the Arts Center at 701-25-2496.
The next Open Mic Nite is Thursday May 30, from 7-a.m., to 9-a.m. at the Arts Center, facilitated by local musician Steve Kuykendall.
Mindi reminded everybody that the Hansen Art Park in Downtown Jamestown hosts this summer’s Art Market, each Thursday from June through August this summer. (Not on the 4th of July.)
More vendors are welcome by contacting the Arts Center.
The event schedule is available on line at www.jamestownarts.com
Fergus Falls, MN (OTPCO) Otter Tail Power Company is aware of recent scam activity throughout its service area. “Scammers are targeting both our residential customers and business customers,” said Customer Care Supervisor Collin Kremeier. “And they’re increasingly convincing, requiring urgent payments to avoid disconnection. We’ll never pressure you to make immediate payments, especially through services like MoneyPak, MoneyGram, or pre-paid credit cards.”
Kremeier outlines these red flags if you receive suspicious contact from a possible scammer:
- The caller says he or she works for Otter Tail Power Company or a collection agency and your electricity is about to be shut off—even though you know you’ve paid your bill.
- The caller references a phony bill date, account number, or balance. Otter Tail Power Company doesn’t offer this information over the phone and will only validate what customers provide.
- If the scam surfaces via email, the message does not mention Otter Tail Power Company yet contains a clickable link that supposedly would allow you to view your bill.
Use these tips to help protect yourself:
- Don’t call back the number the scammer provided, as scammers can spoof the company’s phone number, making it appear as though the call is coming from Otter Tail Power Company. Contact the company directly at 800-257-4044 or check your account using the company’s website, otpco.com.
- Only share information by phone if you’ve initiated the call.
- Don’t click on links in or reply to a suspicious email.
- Never share business or personal information by email.
- Contact your financial institution if you shared banking or credit card information.
- Report illegal activity to local law enforcement and to the Federal Trade Commission at 877-FTC-HELP.
Kremeier, says, “It’s important to know that an Otter Tail Power Company Customer Service Representative may call to remind you to make a payment—but they never will ask to process your payment on the call. Please call us with questions about your account or to make a payment.”
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A medical marijuana dispensary is set to open next month in Bismarck.
The Bismarck Tribune reports the dispensary is located on Memorial Highway. The building previously had been used as a restaurant and later a veterinary clinic.
Another facility will be located in Grand Forks. Jason Wahl, director of the department’s Medical Marijuana Division, says the dispensary operated by We-Mend LLC is set to open Wednesday.
The first dispensary opened in Fargo on March 1. Voters approved medical marijuana in 2016, but it took time for the state to build up a regulatory structure.
The North Dakota Department of Health says the state’s second medical marijuana dispensary is set to open next week in Grand Forks.
Construction is continuing on a dispensary in Williston. It’s not clear when it will open.
Officials say more than 450 registry identification cards have been issued so far to qualifying patients.
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A Bismarck man who was prohibited from withdrawing his guilty plea 12 years after he allegedly killed his wife will get another chance to state his case.
The North Dakota Supreme Court said in a ruling filed Thursday that Russell Craig should have been allowed to argue his motion at a hearing that was scheduled in October 2018 and then cancelled. A week later, Judge Bruce Romanick denied Craig’s motion to withdraw his plea.
Craig pleaded guilty to murder in the June 2006 stabbing death of Pamela Sue Johnson-Craig. He was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
Justices say Romanick erroneously cancelled the hearing “without explanation.” The high court ordered that the hearing be rescheduled.
Justices denied a separate motion by Craig to replace Romanick.
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Salary and classroom safety are high on the list of topics for negotiations between the Bismarck school district and its teachers.
They’ll head back to the bargaining table later this week as they negotiate a 2-year contract. The Bismarck Education Association is seeking a 4 percent pay increase in each of the two years, while the district is proposing 1.6 percent the first year and 2 percent the second year.
The Bismarck Tribune says teachers are also concerned with classroom safety and want compensation for time lost, medical bills and damage to personal property for those injured on the job. The union surveyed teachers prior to negotiations and found a high number of them answered “yes” when asked if they’ve ever felt threatened or injured by a student.
MINOT, N.D. (AP) — U.S. Postal Service officials say the Minot post office doesn’t have the money or space to bring back full mail processing.
The agency’s district manager Douglas Stephens tells the Minot Daily News that the city’s post office can’t expand to handle full mail processing because demand is already in decline.
Regular mail is sent daily from Minot to Bismarck for processing. It’s then trucked back to the city.
The Bismarck facility has the equipment to process mail while meeting security standards implemented nationwide after the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
Stephens says the machines cost millions of dollars and Minot doesn’t have the floor space to support one. He says the office is working to streamline the operation to ensure Minot’s mail is returned from Bismarck efficiently.
FARGO, N.D. (AP) — A red panda who escaped his compound at a zoo in North Dakota has been found, grooming himself in a tree outside the facility.
Sheffield the red panda was reported missing from the Red River Zoo in Fargo on Thursday morning.
KFGO reports that he was found a day later perched in a tree near the zoo. Workers lured him from the tree with food and restored him to his home in the zoo.
The red panda is an endangered species.
Officials say more than 25% of Chinese red pandas found in zoos across the country were born at the Fargo zoo.
In sports…
Jamestown (CSi) The Jamestown Blue Jays baseball team will host Number 10 Seed Bismarck St. Mary’s May 20 at 5-p.m., in the WDA Tournament play-in game at Jack Brown Stadium.
The Jays are seeded Number 7.
Jamestown (CSi) The 2019 Class B Region III High School Baseball Tournament, at Pirate Field in Steele, starts on Monday, May 20, with a two day double elimination format.
The tournament opens with four games on the schedule.
May 20:
10-a.m. – No. 2 Sheyenne/New Rockford vs. No. 3 Kidder County
1230-p.m. – No. 1 Carrington vs. No. 4 Midkota/Griggs County Central/Dakota Prairie/Lakota
3-p.m. – Elimination game
530-p.m. – Semifinal
On Tuesday May 21, games start at noon.
The championship game is at 2:30-p.m., If necessary the second championship game will be played at 5-p.m.
The winner goes to the State Class B Baseball tourney in Fargo at Newman Outdoor Field set for May 30, 31 and June 1.
AP Source: Pelicans hire Trajan Langdon as GM
NEW ORLEANS (AP) _ A person familiar with the situation says the New Orleans Pelicans have hired Nets assistant general manager Trajan (TRAY’-jahn) Langdon to serve as GM under new executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin.
The former Duke and NBA player also competed professionally in Europe. The 43-year-old has served as Nets assistant GM since 2016 and has helped rebuild Brooklyn into a squad that qualified for the Eastern Conference playoffs as a sixth seed this season after finishing last in the East two seasons earlier.
Langdon interviewed with New Orleans for the top basketball operations job that went to Griffin in mid-April.
PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
Koepka hangs on for 2nd straight PGA Championship crown
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. (AP) _ Brooks Koepka (KEHP’-kuh) was able to win the PGA Championship for the second straight year, but he certainly made things interesting after dominating the first three rounds.
Koepka carried a hefty seven-stroke advantage into the final round before completing a two-shot victory over Dustin Johnson. Koepka closed with a 4-over 74 that included four straight bogeys on the back nine.
Johnson birdied No. 15 to get within one stroke of the lead, but he followed that with back-to-back bogeys to fall back.
The 29-year-old Koepka will replace Johnson as the world’s top-ranked golfer after joining Tiger Woods as the only repeat winners of the PGA Championship since it became a stroke-play tournament. Koepka finished 8 under in his fourth major title.
Britain’s Matt Wallace shot a 72 to finish in a third-place tie with Americans Jordan Spieth (speeth) and Patrick Cantlay.
NHL PLAYOFFS-BLUES/SHARKS
Schwartz leads Blues to 3-2 lead
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) _ It’s been 49 years since the St. Louis Blues last appeared in a Stanley Cup final, a series that ended with Boston defenseman Bobby Orr flying over the stick of Noel Picard after scoring the winning goal 40 seconds into overtime. The Blues are one win away from a finals rematch with the Bruins after taking a three-games-to-two lead in the Western Conference final.
Jaden Schwartz registered a hat trick and Vladimir Tarasenko scored on a penalty shot as the Blues punished the Sharks, 5-0 at San Jose. St. Louis held a 1-0 lead before Schwartz and Tarasenko scored during the first seven minutes of the second period. The Blues dominated the middle period by outshooting San Jose, 20-6.
Schwartz also tallied twice in the third period to become the first player since Detroit’s Johan Franzen in 2008 to register two hat tricks in the same postseason.
Oskar Sundqvist provided the eventual game-winner in the opening stanza, and rookie Jordan Binnington needed to make just 21 saves for his first career playoff shutout.
Martin Jones stopped 35 shots for the Sharks, who will try to stave off elimination when they visit St. Louis for Game 6 on Tuesday.
NHL-BRUINS-CHARA
Chara skates before Bruins’ practice
BOSTON (AP) _ Three days after he had to miss Game 4 of the Eastern Conference final because of an undisclosed injury, Bruins captain Zdeno Chara (zuh-DAY’-noh CHAH’-rah) skated before practice on Sunday.
Chara did not participate in the team’s full practice, three days after the Bruins completed a four-game sweep of the Carolina Hurricanes in the NHL’s Eastern Conference final. He missed Game 4 after playing in the first three games.
Center David Krejci (KRAY’-chee) did not practice because of a “maintenance day.”
MLB…
UNDATED (AP) _ Edwin Encarnacion (ehn-kahr-nah-see-OHN’) made several nice plays at first base before blasting a three-run homer in the seventh inning to send the Mariners past the Twins, 7-4. Mitch Haniger and Daniel Vogelbach hit back-to-back homers as Seattle ended a three-game skid while halting Minnesota’s five-game winning streak. Yusei Kukuchi gave up one earned run while striking out six over six innings to get the win.
_ Anthony Rizzo homered and Kyle Schwarber drove in two runs while the Cubs were building a 6-1 lead in a 6-5 victory at Washington. Kyle Hendricks laid down a squeeze bunt and pitched into the sixth inning of Chicago’s 15th win in 17 games. Anthony Rendon (rehn-DOHN’) belted a three-run homer and Howie Kendrick added a solo shot for the Nationals.
Astros fall to Red Sox, finish without Springer
_ It was a tough afternoon for the Houston Astros, who lost their hottest hitter while watching their 10-game winning streak come to an end.
Michael Chavis homered and Xander Bogaerts (BOH’-gahrts) supplied a tiebreaking double in the seventh inning as the Red Sox downed the Astros, 4-3 to avoid a three-game sweep. Mookie Betts scored three runs for Boston, which lost the first two games in the first meeting with the Astros since beating them in the 2018 ALCS.
Chris Sale followed his career-high 17-strikeout performance on Tuesday by fanning 10 while yielding three runs, four hits and five walks over 5 1/3 frames.
Carlos Correa hit a two-run homer off Sale for Houston, which slipped 13-4 this month.
The Astros finished the game without George Springer, who came out in the fifth inning due to lower back stiffness. Springer appeared to reach briefly for the lower right side of his back while striking out against Chris Sale in the first inning. The American League home run leader fanned in his next two at-bats before being replaced in the lineup.
Elsewhere in the majors:
_ The Yankees are back atop the AL East after putting together a seven-run sixth in a 13-5 rout of the second-place Rays. Brett Gardner homered early and later got two hits during the seven-run onslaught that was prolonged by five walks. Aaron Hicks homered for the first time since returning from a back injury, and DJ LeMahieu also connected to help the Yankees win for the 10th time in 13 games.
_ Shane Bieber tossed his first big league complete game while fanning a career-high 15 in the Indians’ 10-0 laugher against the Orioles. Mike Freeman hit a two-run double and Carlos Santana drove in a pair with a homer and a single. Baltimore has dropped nine of its last 11 and has allowed a major league-high 94 home runs this year.
_ Homers by rookie Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Danny Jansen and Billy McKinney sent the Blues Jays past the White Sox, 5-2. Guerrero has homered four times in six games since failing to hit one in his first 13 contests following his recall. Guerrero’s two-run drive broke a 1-all tie in the eighth inning, one inning before Jansen added a two-run shot.
_ The Athletics were in line for their 16th consecutive win over the Tigers, leading 5-3 in the bottom of the seventh before the game was suspended by rain. Stephen Piscotty hit a tiebreaking, two-run double in the seventh, but the precipitation prevented the Tigers from completing their half of the inning. The game will resume Sept. 6 before the Tigers play a series in Oakland.
_ Danny Duffy won his third straight start and the Royals stopped a four-game skid with a 5-1 victory over the Angels. Hunter Dozier hit a two-run double and Duffy allowed five hits in six innings. Hunter Dozier’s two-run double gave Kansas City a 3-0 lead in the third inning.
_ Hyun-Jin Ryu (HYOON’-jihn-ree-OO’) ran his major league-leading shutout streak to 31 innings by blanking the Reds on five hits over seven frames of the Dodgers’ 8-3 victory. Cody Bellinger hit his 17th homer to back Ryu, who is 6-1 with a 1.52 ERA. Alex Verdugo drove in three runs and Russell Martin added a solo shot for the NL West-leading Dodgers.
_ Pablo Sandoval’s second home run in two days put the Giants ahead in the 10th inning of a 3-2 verdict over the Diamondbacks. Sandoval’s blast came an inning after shortstop Brandon Crawford made a spectacular diving stop to prevent Arizona from scoring the winning run. San Francisco went 20 straight at-bats without a baserunner unti the ninth inning, but the DBacks managed just three hits the entire game.
_ Colin Moran contributed a three-run home run and four RBIs to the Pirates’ 6-4 win at San Diego. Joe Musgrove became the second alum of nearby Grossmont High in suburban El Cajo to beat the Padres in as many days after Steven Brault did it in relief. Musgrove took a one-hit shutout into the seventh before the Padres broke out for four runs, including a three-run blast by Hunter Renfroe.
_ The Brewers pulled out a 3-2 win over the Braves on Ben Gamel’s solo homer in the 10th, one day after Atlanta topped Milwaukee on a Freddie Freeman blast in the 10th. Christian Yelich (YEH’-lihch) and Keston Hiura (hee-OOR’-uh) also connected for the Brewers to counter round-trippers by Ronald Acuña (ah-KOON’-yah) Jr. and Freeman. Milwaukee starter Brandon Woodruff gave up both Atlanta home runs but just three other hits in a career-high eight innings.
_ Nomar Mazara lifted a sacrifice fly to cap a two-run rally in the 10th inning of the Rangers’ 5-4 walk-off win against the Cardinals. Dexter Fowler tied it for St. Louis with a ninth-inning homer, and the Redbirds went ahead on a double by Harrison Bader in the 10th before Texas won it on Willie Calhoun’s RBI single and Mazara’s fly ball. Paul DeJong (deh-YUHNG’) drove in three runs for the Cards.
_ Bryce Harper homered for the second straight day and pinch-hitter J.T. Realmuto (ree-al-MOO’-toh) added a game-tying, two-run shot to help the Phillies earn a 7-5 victory and complete a three-game sweep of the Rockies. Harper collected three RBIs, two coming on his tiebreaking, two-run blast in the sixth. Ryan McMahon hit two homers, and Charlie Blackmon and Trevor Story also went deep for Colorado.
_ The Marlins completed a three-game sweep of the Mets as Sandy Alcantara (al-KAN’-tah-rah) went the distance on a two-hitter in Miami’s 2-0 victory. Alcantara struck out eight, walked one and needed only 89 pitches to get his first career victory. New York managed just three hits in back-to-back shutout losses that drop the ballclub five games under .500 for the first time this season.
INDY 500-QUALIFYING
Pagenaud gets Indy pole
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) _ Simon Pagenaud (PA’-zheh-noh) has won the pole for the Indianapolis 500.
Pagenaud averaged 229.992 mph in four laps of qualifying to lock down the top spot for the May 26 race. The qualifying performance comes after he finally snapped a long losing streak with a victory on the road course around Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Ed Carpenter and Spencer Pigot qualified second and third for a Chevrolet sweep of the front row.
HOCKEY-WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
US tops Germans 3-1 for 5th win in row at world championship
KOSICE, Slovakia (AP) _ Dylan Larkin scored a tiebreaking goal midway through the third period before the United States completed a 3-1 win over Germany at the world championships.
Jack Eichel (EYE’-kul) put the Americans ahead by two goals late in the third. Cory Schneider was strong in net, helping U.S. win a fifth straight game in Group A since opening the tournament with a 4-1 loss to the host Slovaks.
In world and national news….
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s foreign minister has criticized President Donald Trump for his overnight tweet threatening to the Islamic Republic with its “official end.”
Mohammad Javad Zarif posted his own message Monday on Twitter, saying Trump had been “goaded” into “genocidal taunts.”
Zarif wrote that Trump “hopes to achieve what Alexander (the Great), Genghis (Khan) & other aggressors failed to do.”
He added: “Iranians have stood tall for a millennia while aggressors all gone.”
He ended his tweet with #neverthreatenaniranian and: “Try respect – it works!”
BOKOSHE, Okla. (AP) — A small town in Oklahoma is warning communities about the Trump administration’s environmental policies.
Residents of Bokoshe (bo-KOSH-eee) have been worried for years about coal-ash contamination from a power plant that burns the high-sulfur coal mined near the community southeast of Tulsa.
Townspeople regard the Environmental Protection Agency as the only source of serious environmental enforcement. Now the EPA has approved Oklahoma to be the first state to take over enforcement on coal-ash sites.
The EPA is delegating more enforcement to states. The administration says local officials know best how to deal with local problems. Critics say regulators are retreating on enforcement and putting people and the environment at greater risk.
Many EPA enforcement actions have fallen sharply over the past two years, some to the lowest point in decades.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A survey obtained by The Associated Press shows that public transportation agencies are using drones in nearly every state.
The report being released Monday from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials shows a sharp increase in drone use over the last few years. It reflects the technology’s rapid adoption by governments as well as hobbyists.
In Utah, drones are hovering near avalanches to watch roaring snow. In North Carolina, they’re searching for the nests of endangered birds. In Kansas, they could soon be identifying sick cows through heat signatures.
Transportation officials say drones can make prosaic tasks like bridge inspections cheaper and take on work that’s dangerous for people.
In Utah, thermal drones monitor snowpack and measure avalanches to help keep snow slides from blocking roads in winter.
BEIJING (AP) — Google is assuring users of Huawei smartphones the American company’s services still will work on them following U.S. government restrictions on doing business with the Chinese tech giant.
Google said Monday it is complying with and “reviewing the implications” of an order that requires export licenses for technology sales to Huawei Technologies Ltd.
Last week’s order follows U.S. government accusations that Huawei is a security risk and might help Beijing spy abroad.
Huawei, which uses Google’s Android operating system, is the No. 2 global smartphone brand by number of handsets sold, behind South Korea’s Samsung Electronics.
Google said on Twitter, “We assure you while we are complying with all US gov’t requirements, services like Google Play & security from Google Play Protect will keep functioning on your existing Huawei device.”
KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian television star Volodymyr Zelenskiy has been sworn in as president and immediately disbanded the Ukrainian parliament.
Disbanding the Supreme Rada was one of his campaign promises, for Zelenskiy had branded the body as a group of people only interested in self-enrichment.
Before he made the announcement, Zelenskiy asked the parliament to adopt a bill against illegal enrichment and support his motion to fire the country’s defense minister, the head of the Ukrainian Security Service and the Prosecutor General. All of them are allies of former President Petro Poroshenko, who lost the presidential election in a landslide to the comedian who had no previous political experience.
In a feisty speech after his inauguration, Zelenskiy told the Rada that his main goal for the presidency is to bring peace to eastern Ukraine, where government troops have been fighting Russia-backed separatists for five years.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Winter has come and winter has gone.
The last of the heads have been lopped off and the last of the dragon fire has been spent as “Game of Thrones” aired its 73rd and final episode Sunday night.
While the results were the usual split decision, there were some clear winners and losers.
Jon Snow vowed love and loyalty to Queen Daenerys Targaryen, even as he stabbed her to death for fear she’s become a mad tyrant.
The aftermath brought a serious upset, with King Brandon Stark becoming King Bran the Broken.
Yet Bran doesn’t get to sit on the Iron Throne — a dragon melted that — or rule the Seven Kingdoms — his sister Sansa broke one off to become queen of an independent Winterfell.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea has vowed to move quickly on its plans to provide $8 million worth of humanitarian aid to North Korea through international organizations and is also considering sending food to the country that says it’s suffering its worst drought in decades.
Seoul’s Unification Ministry said Monday it will discuss its plans with the World Food Program and the United Nations Children’s Fund so the aid reaches North Korean children and pregnant women quickly.
Seoul hopes the aid will help revive diplomacy and engagement with Pyongyang that tapered off amid a stalemate in nuclear talks between the United States and North Korea.
But Seoul has yet to decide on concrete plans amid public frustration over recent North Korean missile tests.
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