West Point military competition tests future soldiers, in photos

WEST POINT, N.Y. (AP) — Amid theIran war, tensionswith European alliesin NATO and theRussia-Ukraine war, the United States Military Academy held its 59th Sandhurst Military Skills Competition. Across 36 hours, a mix of international and U.S. military cadet teams competed in a variety of skill-based competitions, based on the needs of the military. For the first time, cadets used video game controllers to simulate first-person view drone attacks, an exercise added due to the proliferation of drone warfare. The West Point black team won for the fourth year in a row.

APTOPIX Sandhurst Military Skills Competition

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This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

byVincento Seyarto

in

May 07, 2026

West Point military competition tests future soldiers, in photos

WEST POINT, N.Y. (AP) — Amid theIran war, tensionswith European alliesin NATO and theRussia-Ukraine war, the United States Military Aca...

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Study finds falls after age of 40 could increase future dementia risk

A single fall after the age of 40 could increase one’s futuredementia riskby over 20 per cent, reveals a new review of studies conducted in China.

For people experiencingmultiple fallsafter this age, their future risk could increase up to 74 per cent, say scientists from the Changchun University of Chinese Medicine.

"Recurrent falls may serve as a potentialclinical markerfor identifying individuals at higher risk," researchers wrote in the study published in theJournal of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine.

Dementiaand falls both affect elderly populations and are commonly associated with ageing, with many studies probing the link between the two.

Studies show there could be common neurological issues linked to both falls and dementia, indicating that falls could be an early symptom of cognitive decline.

Older adults with dementia also experience more frequent falls, but it is unclear whether falls notably precede dementia.

"This study provides the first quantitative evidence, based on a systematic review and meta-analysis, demonstrating an association between a history of falls in middle-aged and older adults and the subsequent risk of dementia," scientists wrote.

In the review research, scientists assessed seven studies, including case reports of nearly three million participants aged 40 or older, who were without dementia at baseline.

Among nearly 1.25 million middle-aged and older adults in the pooled analysis who had a history of falls future dementia incidence was over 11 per cent.

The dementia incidence was higher at 12.3 per cent among adults aged 60 years or more.

“Both single falls and multiple falls increased the risk of future all-cause dementia, and multiple falls were a more robust predictor of future dementia,” scientists wrote.

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A separate analysis of three of the seven studies showed that a single fall was linked to a 20 per cent higher risk of future dementia, while multiple falls were associated with a 74 per cent higher risk.

“The results indicate that the frequency of falls exhibits a dose-response relationship with dementia risk,” they wrote.

The findings, according to researchers, show that falls are “not merely coincidental but serve as an early clinical marker of accelerating neurodegenerative decline”.

Scientists suspect three possible mechanisms could be behind this link.

One is that since falls cause injuries, they could directly lead to dementia by driving or speeding up cognitive decline.

Alternatively, researchers suspect neurodegeneration could be already underway long before a formal dementia diagnosis, which also contributes to falls.

This aligns with the observation that falling more often could lead to more advanced dementia.

Researchers also suspect a vicious cycle could be at play.

A middle-aged person experiencing a single fall could develop a fear of further falls and reduce physical and social activities, both of which are protective against dementia.

In any case, scientists call for clinicians to maintain heightened vigilance for cognitive decline in middle-aged and older adults with a history of recurrent falls so that dementia is detected early.

They hope future studies can further clarify this association and support preventive strategies in ageing populations.

byVincento Seyarto

in

May 07, 2026

Study finds falls after age of 40 could increase future dementia risk

A single fall after the age of 40 could increase one’s futuredementia riskby over 20 per cent, reveals a new review of studies conducte...

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USI commencement happens Friday and Saturday: Here are the details

EVANSVILLE — The University of Southern Indiana will holdfive commencement ceremoniesacross Friday and Saturday in Liberty Arena to recognize students from the Class of 2026 and one honorary degree recipient.

In all, 1,649 students are eligible to participate in 2026 spring commencement ceremonies, USI officials stated. Forty will graduate summa cum laude, while 141 will graduate magna cum laude and 152 will graduate cum laude.

Seventeen university honor scholars will be recognized, according to USI.

USI will recognizeJohn L. Deem, its associate vice president emeritus for student affairs and assistant professor emeritus of accounting, as an honorary degree candidate "for his 44 years of impactful service to the University," according to USI. Deem will receive an honorary doctor of laws degree at the School of Graduate Studies Ceremony.

Timothy Rosignol, USI Class of 2026 President’s Medalist, will be recognized during the College of Liberal Arts Commencement Ceremony.

USI provided a full schedule of speakers:

Friday

School of Graduate Studies – 5 p.m.

Vladimir Kasparov, a 2001 Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and 2005 Master of Business Administration graduate, will deliver the commencement address at the School of Graduate Studies ceremony. Kasparov is the managing director at Portage Point Partners.

Saturday

Romain College of Business – 9 a.m.

David Ramsey, a 2005 bachelor of science in computer information systems graduate, will deliver the commencement address at the Romain College of Business ceremony. Ramsey is the vice president of data science and AI engineering at SYRV.AI.

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Kinney College of Nursing and Health Professions – Noon

Dr. Tony Goodwin, a 1989 bachelor of science in radiologic technology graduate, will deliver the commencement address at the Kinney College of Nursing and Health Professions ceremony. Goodwin is the technology operations administrator at Ascension Health.

Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education – 3 p.m.

Dr. Sarah Wannemuehler, director of clinical practice emerita and a 1974 bachelor of science in elementary education graduate, will deliver the commencement address for the Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education ceremony.

College of Liberal Arts – 6 p.m.

Chad Horrell, a 2004 bachelor of science in political science graduate, will deliver the commencement address at the College of Liberal Arts ceremony. Horrell is vice president of state and local practice at BGR Group.

Ceremonies will be held in-person. Tickets aren't required. A livestream of each ceremony will be available atUSI.edu/watch-commencement.

USI advises anyone planning to attend in person to review the Liberty Arena Prohibited Items and Security Policy atUSI.edu/arena-security.

For more information about Commencement, visitUSI.edu/commencement.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press:When are University of Southern Indiana's 2026 graduation ceremonies?

byVincento Seyarto

in

May 07, 2026

USI commencement happens Friday and Saturday: Here are the details

EVANSVILLE — The University of Southern Indiana will holdfive commencement ceremoniesacross Friday and Saturday in Liberty Arena to rec...

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Yahoo Finance

By Sophie Yu and Casey Hall

BEIJING/SHANGHAI, May 7 (Reuters) - China's overall tourist activity increased slightly during the May Day holiday, according to official data released on Thursday, but per trip spending dipped compared to last year's holiday period.

Spending over ‌China's multi-day public holidays is an important marker of the country's consumer confidence, which has suffered from a challenging economic ‌backdrop and a prolonged property crisis, even as exports have proved resilient.

According to data from China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, 325 million domestic trips were taken during the ​May 1-5 holiday, a rise of 3.6% over last year. The total expenditure of domestic travel was 185.49 billion yuan ($27.27 billion), up 2.9% compared to a year ago.

Spending per May holiday trip fell to 571 yuan, from 574.1 yuan in 2025, Reuters calculations based on official data showed.

Since emerging from the restrictions of the COVID pandemic, China's holiday periods have been marked by increased domestic travel, though per capita spending has lagged. In ‌2019, travellers spent 603.4 yuan per trip during ⁠the May holiday.

Consumer belt-tightening has contributed to ongoing deflationary pressures in the world's second-largest economy in recent years.

Retail sales, a gauge of consumption, grew 1.7% in March, slowing from 2.8% growth in January-February and below analysts' expectations.

"Broadly, ⁠travel has been on the upswing. There has been growth in trips and lodging bookings, as well as on food spend," said Ben Cavender, managing director at Shanghai-based China Market Research Group.

"Having said that, it's also very clear that consumers are still being very value driven in terms of how they ​spend," ​he added.

According to the China Index Academy, one of China's largest real estate ​data providers, new-home sales by floor area in 26 ‌cities reached 518,000 square metres during the 2026 Labour Day holiday, up 12.5% from a year earlier.

Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Wuhan introduced stimulus measures in late April, including easing home-purchase restrictions and offering home-buying subsidies. Their property markets became noticeably more active during the holiday, while most other cities saw relatively stable market conditions.

HOBBIES AND EXPERIENCES DICTATE DESTINATION CHOICE

Major tourist attractions and cultural sites bustled with visitors during the holiday period, as travellers flocked to both traditional hotspots and emerging destinations.

Alibaba-owned travel platform Fliggy, along with social media site Xiaohongshu, also known as RedNote in ‌English, said in a jointly released "2026 Labor Day Holiday Travel Trends Report" that interest-led ​itineraries focused on food and photography, for example, have become major drivers of destination ​choice for Chinese travellers.

Xiaohongshu data shows that 69% of users select ​destinations based on personal interests, while experiential products on Fliggy's platform outpaced overall platform growth during the holiday.

H ‌World Group, a hospitality company that operated more than ​12,700 hotels in China last year, said ​holiday demand was robust and it recorded a 13.6% increase in total room nights year-on-year.

But the holiday film market - another gauge of consumer sentiment - grew far less.

According to statistics from the China Film Administration, this year's May Day holiday total box office ​revenue reached 758 million yuan, with 20.8 million ‌moviegoers, up 1.41% and 10.23% year-on-year, with no standout box-office leader emerging.

The average ticket price was 36.3 yuan, down 8% ​from the same period last year.

($1 = 6.8053 Chinese yuan renminbi)

(Reporting by Sophie Yu in Beijing, Casey Hall in Shanghai, ​additional reporting by Liangping Gao; Editing by Kim Coghill and Barbara Lewis)

byVincento Seyarto

in

May 07, 2026

Yahoo Finance

By Sophie Yu and Casey Hall BEIJING/SHANGHAI, May 7 (Reuters) - China's overall tourist activity increased slightly during the...

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Solar ranch in Tennessee aims to prove grazing cattle under the panels is a farmland win-win

From a distance, the small solar farm in centralTennesseelooks like others that now dot ruralAmerica, with row upon row of black panels absorbing the sun's rays to generate electricity.

But beneath these panels is lush pasture instead of gravel, enjoyed by a small herd of cattle that spends its days munching grass and resting in the shade.

Silicon Ranch, which owns the 40-acre farm in Christiana, outside ofNashville, believes cattle-grazing is the next frontier in so-called agrivoltaics, which mostly has involved growing crops or grazing sheep beneath the panels.

The solar company debuted the project this week and will spend the next year working to demonstrate to farmers that much larger cattle also can thrive at solar sites. If successful, advocates say, that could jump-start new projects to meet the soaring electricity demand driven by rapidly expanding data centers — without contributing climate-warming carbon emissions — and help cattle producers hold onto their land and livelihoods.

“Solaris one of the most powerful tools we have for cutting emissions and ... is cost-competitive with fossil fuels,” said Taylor Bacon, a doctoral student at Colorado State University who has studied ecological outcomes at solar grazing sites. “I think we’re starting to see enough research that, when you do it well, the land use can be more of an opportunity than a downside."

Though there are far more cattle than sheep in the U.S., their size poses challenges at solar sites, where both expensive equipment and the animals, which can weigh more than half a ton, must be protected.

Solar panels often pivot to near-vertical angles to capture the sun’s rays, leaving little room underneath for cattle; simply raising the panels is cost-prohibitive because of the amount of steel required. So Silicon Ranch raised the panels a little but also developed software that workers activate to turn the panels close to horizontal when cattle are grazing, giving them room to wander, said Nick de Vries, the company's chief technology officer.

Workers rotate the cattle — currently 10 cows and their calves — between paddocks every few days so panels on the ungrazed portion of the site operate normally, generating a supply of roughly 5 megawatts of electricity for Middle Tennessee Electric, a rural electric co-op.

The hope is that the technology eventually will be adopted more broadly, company officials said.

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“We know it works," said de Vries. "But you need to prove it to other people."

For solar companies, agricultural land is generally easier to develop than other types of sites. But many farmers — and communities — will need to be convinced that solar grazing will benefit them because of past practices that destroyed topsoil and took land out of production permanently.

"For many agricultural stakeholders, it is offensive to see high-quality farmland getting graded and piled when that’s a farm family’s legacy,” said Ethan Winter, national smart solar director at American Farmland Trust.

But he sees potential for solar grazing partnerships to help farmers keep their land in production and earn extra income.

“Agricultureis in a really tough spot right now, so maybe this is our moment where we can be helping states meet their energy needs and do that in a way that’s providing new opportunities for farmers,” Winter said.

Silicon Ranch this year will have almost 15,000 acres of pasture being grazed — mostly by sheep — since launching five years ago, and is working with ranchers, farmers, university researchers and others to adopt best-practices for keeping soils and animals healthy.

What they're finding is that pasture beneath solar panels retains more moisture, making it more drought tolerant, said Anna Clare Monlezun, a rancher and rangeland ecosystem scientist who's working on the Tennessee project. Grazing in the shade leaves animals less prone to heat stress, enabling them to gain more weight and drink less water.

“There are more win-wins than trade-offs,” she said.

Farmers often earn about $1,000 an acre by leasing their land for solar, easily 10 times more than what they historically earned through traditional agriculture, Winter said. That can help them to diversify operations, pay down debt and buy more land.

“I think you’ll start to hear more interest from farmers who are up against a serious financial wall right now and looking for income diversification opportunities that keep land in production,” Winter said. “We need and want to grow America’s energy capacity but not at the expense of our best farmland or at the expense of agricultural livelihoods.”

byVincento Seyarto

in

May 06, 2026

Solar ranch in Tennessee aims to prove grazing cattle under the panels is a farmland win-win

From a distance, the small solar farm in centralTennesseelooks like others that now dot ruralAmerica, with row upon row of black panels...

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Pope Leo hits back at Trump over claim he is ‘endangering Catholics’

Pope Leo has hit back at DonaldTrumpover his baseless claim that the pontiff is “endangeringCatholics” by supportingIran’s nuclear programme.

In his latest attack on the Pope, theUSPresident claimed over the weekend that the pontiff “thinks it’s fine for Iran to have a nuclear weapon” without providing evidence.

Speaking outside the papal residence in Castel Gandolfo, the Pope did not directly respond to Trump by name but said that the Catholic Church had always been opposed tonuclear weapons.

"The mission of the Church is to proclaim the Gospel, to preach peace," he said. "If someone wants to criticise me for proclaiming the Gospel, let them do so truthfully. For years, the Church has spoken out against all nuclear weapons, so there is no doubt on that point.”

The comments came ahead of a challenging meeting with US secretary of state Marco Rubio on Thursday. The US ambassador to the Holy See told reporters the meeting would include a “frank conversation” about the Trump administration’s policies.

“Nations have disagreements, and I think one of the ways that you work through those is ... through fraternity and authentic dialogue,” Brian Burch said.

“I think the Secretary is coming here in that spirit,” Burch told journalists. “To have a frank conversation about U.S. policy, to engage in dialogue.”

Donald Trump and Pope Leo, the first US-born pope, clashed publicly last month over the president’s sabre-rattling amid the then-hot conflict with Iran.

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The unprecedented rift between the US president and the head of the Catholic church saw Trump lambast the pontiff as being “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy”.

The comments drew sharp backlash from Christians across the political spectrum. Trump also faced criticism from his base for sharing an AI rendering of himself many took to be an imitation of Jesus. Trumps aid he thought he was portraying a doctor.

At the height of the dispute last month, vice president JD Vance, a Catholic, saidthe Pope should be “careful when he talks about matters of theology”.

The public disagreement forced a wedge between Trump and Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, who had long been seen as a Trump ally in Europe.

Meloni called the comments “unacceptable” and expressed solidarity with Pope Leo. She said she would not feel comfortable in a society where religious leaders do what political leaders say.

Trump risked further alienating himself as he called Ms Meloni “unacceptable” for her comments, adding that he was “shocked by her”.

“I thought she was brave, but I was wrong,” he said.

More to follow...

byVincento Seyarto

in

May 06, 2026

Pope Leo hits back at Trump over claim he is ‘endangering Catholics’

Pope Leo has hit back at DonaldTrumpover his baseless claim that the pontiff is “endangeringCatholics” by supportingIran’s nuclear prog...

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Brazil's Lula to raise organized crime in talks with Trump this week

SAO PAULO, May 5 (Reuters) - Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will bring up ‌the topic of an agreement to combat ‌organized crime in his meeting with U.S. counterpart Donald Trump this ​week, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin said on Tuesday.

The countries can do "important work in combating transnational organized crime," Alckmin told news channel GloboNews, adding that Lula has ‌already raised the ⁠agreement with Trump and will do so again at their meeting.

Lula and Trump are ⁠expected to meet on Thursday, following a previously planned visit to Washington by the Brazilian president that ​did not ​take place.

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A White House ​official on Tuesday confirmed ‌the meeting and said the leaders would discuss "economic and security matters of shared importance."

Brazil and the U.S. announced in April a joint initiative to combat organized crime, involving the integration of data from Brazil's ‌federal tax authority with U.S. ​Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

The initiative ​aims to integrate ​intelligence efforts to intercept illicit shipments ‌of weapons and narcotics. It ​comes amid Lula's ​efforts on public security, a key issue in Latin America's largest economy, as he seeks ​a new term ‌in October's general election.

(Reporting by Isabel Teles; ​Additional reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by Mark ​Porter and Himani Sarkar)

byVincento Seyarto

in

May 06, 2026

Brazil's Lula to raise organized crime in talks with Trump this week

SAO PAULO, May 5 (Reuters) - Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will bring up ‌the topic of an agreement to combat ‌organized c...

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