Biden honors Iranian women at Nowruz reception

U.S. President Joe Biden (C), along with First Lady Jill Biden (R), greets Iranian musicians Sahba Motallebi (L) and Rana Mansour (C-L) during a reception to celebrate Nowruz on Monday in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C. 

Photo by Jim Lo Scalzo | License Photo

March 20 (UPI) -- President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden marked the Persian New Year on Monday with a White House reception in honor of Nowruz and Iranian women.

The president and first lady introduced astronaut Lieutenant Colonel Jasmin Moghbeli, who will command the next U.S. mission to the International Space Station, and paid tribute to Iranian women and girls, saying Nowruz comes at "a difficult time for many families, when hope is needed more than ever -- including for the women of Iran who are fighting for their human rights and fundamental freedoms."

American astronaut of Iranian descent Lieutenant Colonel Jasmin Moghbeli, who will command the next U.S. mission to the International Space Station, attends a reception to celebrate Nowruz on Monday in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C. Photo by Jim Lo Scalzo | License Photo

Nowruz is a two-week celebration, marking the New Year in Iran's official Solar Hijri calendar on the spring equinox. The nearly 4,000-year-old tradition is celebrated by various ethnicities around the world.

"Nowruz means 'new day.'" Moghbeli said. "It is the celebration of the arrival of spring and all the hope that comes with it. It is a holiday full of symbolism, with each element of the Haft-Sin -- or seven S's -- being representative."

"It's a celebration that's been a millennium in the making, observed by millions of people around the world this very day, and the roots in ancient Persia," Biden told visitors at Monday's reception.

"It's the start of a new year that reminds us of hope and what lies ahead from these darkest times so many have been through," Biden said.

"Hope for families in Turkey and Syria, who are grieving for the loss of far too many loved ones from the devastating earthquake. Hope for people in Afghanistan who continue to struggle with a grave humanitarian crisis. Hope for women of Iran who are fighting for their human rights," Biden added.

Biden vowed to keep the pressure on Tehran, as thousands of Iranian citizens have taken to the streets to protest last year's death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, while in police custody for allegedly violating the Islamic Republic's strict dress code.

"The United States stands with those brave women and all the citizens of Iran who are inspiring the world with their conviction," Biden said. "We're going to continue to hold Iranian officials accountable for their attacks against their people."

Hyundai Mobis tests all-directional electric vehicles

By Kim Yoon-kyoung & Kim Tae-gyu, 

UPI News Korea

Hyundai Mobis road-tests an electric vehicle in South Korea for in-wheel motor drive and a 90-degree rotating wheel. Photo courtesy of Hyundai Mobis

SEOUL, March 20 (UPI) -- South Korea's automotive parts maker Hyundai Mobis announced it has begun testing an all-directional drive system specifically for electric vehicles.

The Seoul-based company said Sunday the new system, embedded into four-wheel independent-drive electric cars, features in-wheel motors.

The result is that the four wheels move independently, enabling crab-like shifts for parallel parking and pivot steering for turning around in very narrow spaces.

Additionally, the in-wheel motor will contribute to increasing the range of electric cars by around 20%, thanks to the more efficient use of the wheels, compared to conventional cars, the auto maker said.

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The company, which has been researching in-wheel motor drive since 2010, is conducting these tests in conjunction with its parent company, Hyundai Motor.

It was late last year that Hyundai Mobis first announced the development of a 90-degree rotating wheel, which allows for lateral parking and sideways movement. Now the technology has been applied to EVs.

"We plan to complete the development of the in-wheel drive system by the end of this year in order to get ready for mass production," Hyundai Mobis Senior Vice President Oh Heung-seop said in a statement.

Industry experts say in-wheel motor drives and 90-degree rotating wheels have been considered the final pieces to the making of electrified vehicles.

"There are two big missions for EVs. One is the advanced maneuverability, like lateral drivability, and the other is improved range," Daelim University automotive Professor Kim Pil-soo told UPI News Korea.

"Hyundai Mobis appears to be testing both concepts at the same time with its in-wheel motor drive and 90-degree rotating wheels. EV companies have been targeting the two features for a while now, however, a full commercialization date is yet uncertain," he said.

The share price of Hyundai Mobis was down 2.3% Monday on the South Korean stock exchange.

State of emergency declared in response to Kuwaiti oil spill

OPEC-member Kuwait declared a state of emergency Monday after an oil spill was reported in the west of the country. Officials offered few specifics other than to say no dangerous pollutants were coming from the site. File Photo by Mohamed Messara/EPA-EFE

March 20 (UPI) -- A Kuwaiti oil company on Monday declared a state of emergency after reporting an oil spill, though it stressed there were no major signs of extreme pollution.

In a statement carried by the official Kuwait News Agency, the Kuwait Oil Co. declared an emergency after reporting an oil leak in the western part of the country.

Deputy CEO Qusai al-Amer said nothing of the volume, adding only that personnel were injured in the incident. Nothing harmful in terms of poisonous gases that may be associated with the oil was released, he added.

A video posted from Kuwaiti news agency Al-Rai shows what appears to be black fluid rising from an inland well.



Response teams from the oil company were on the scene and working to contain the release.

Secondary sources reporting to economists at the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries show Kuwait is the fourth-largest crude oil producer in the group behind the United Arab Emirates, churning out around 2.6 million barrels per day.

The U.S. economy receives little crude oil from the country. OPEC economists put Kuwait as the third-largest exporter to Japan, behind Saudi Arabia and the UAE, respectively.

New Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan takes over 2 weeks early


March 20 (UPI) -- Laxman Narasimhan officially took over as CEO of Starbucks on Monday, two weeks earlier than expected and will make his first public address at the company's annual shareholders meeting on Thursday.

Narasimhan was named the new CEO last September and was originally expected to formally take over for former CEO Howard Schultz on April 1

"I am humbled to officially step into my role as Starbucks chief executive officer, leading our incredible team of more than 450,000 green apron partners around the world," Narasimhan said in a statement Monday.

"The foundation Howard has laid -- building from scratch an iconic global brand fueled by a lasting passion to uplift humanity -- is truly remarkable, and I am honored to have the opportunity to build on this deep heritage."

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Narasimhan, who worked at the health and hygiene company Reckitt, joined Starbucks in October and spent time working front-end jobs throughout the company and even earning his barista certification, the company said.

"As a human connection business, we have limitless possibilities to deliver for our partners, our customers, our investors and our communities through every cup and every connection," Narasimhan said. "I am excited to work alongside our partners worldwide to unlock the limitless future of Starbucks."

In a letter to employees released Monday, Schultz encouraged workers to "lean into one another" for support, particularly in hard times.

"I want to acknowledge that there are times when the responsibility for our partners, customers and communities around the world will feel heavy," Schultz said. "But as partners, know that you are not shouldering the responsibility alone.

"Lean into one another -- you will find support everywhere, from the boardroom to partners in plants to store managers to the newest baristas. Our partners have been teaching me for more than 40 years. They will help you all continue to earn your green apron every day."

Narasimhan takes over shortly after the company suspended a stock buyback plan and an ongoing effort to unionize individual stores.

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Starbucks stores in the hometown of Seattle, along with five stores in the Buffalo, N.Y. area and Mesa, Ariz. have all voted to unionize.

Virgin Orbit to bring small staff back to work on Thursday


An updated image of a Virgin Orbit's Launcher One rocket. Virgin Orbit said it will bring back a small group of workers on Thursday after furloughing its entire staff earlier this month. 

File Photo courtesy of Greg Robinson/Virgin Orbit

March 22 (UPI) -- Virgin Orbit, Richard Branson's satellite launcher service, is expected to return a small staff work on Thursday after suspending operations last week and putting its employees on unpaid furlough.

In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday, Virgin Orbit Holdings said it would begin an "incremental resumption of its operations" that would include working on its next launch.

"Our first step will begin Thursday this week, when we plan to return a subset of our team to focus on critical areas of our next mission," CEO Dan Hart said. "We are looking forward to getting back to our mission and returning to orbit.

Hart added, however, that the company would extend its unpaid furlough and continue to pause operations for most of its 750 employees "through at least Monday," according to an email to employees reported by CNBC.

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Hart said there was still a need "to conserve cash" as the company continues to work on moving forward.

"We've made some important progress this week, but there is still work to be done," Hart wrote.

The company has been reeling since its failure to deliver into orbit the first-ever satellite launched from British soil on Jan. 9.

The failed launch from Spaceport Cornwall based at Newquay Airport spoiled hopes that the country could become a global competitor in the lucrative satellite launch industry, which is currently dominated by private U.S. space companies.

"Any viable path for our operations will require us to successfully launch," Hart said.

The return appeared to be good news for its stocks, with Virgin Orbit shares jumping as much as 155% in premarket trading on Wednesday. The stock had lost 76% in 2023 so far, closing at 44 cents on Tuesday.

White supremacist group leader arrested for threatening journalist



March 21 (UPI) -- The leader of a white supremacist group was arrested Tuesday for allegedly threatening a journalist in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Nicholas Welker was arrested in San Jose, Calif., on federal charges, according to the Justice Department.

The journalist was not named in the complaint.

Welker, 31, is accused of sending threatening images and messages, including one picture of a gun aimed at the journalist's head with the caption "Race Traitor."

His threats alerted his followers that the journalist in question "Works as a Reporter" and is "Responsible for Stalking our Boys for Information," according to the Justice Department.

Welker, who also goes by the name "King ov [sic] Wrath,'' was at one time the leader of the racially motivated extremist group Feuerkrieg Division or FKD.

After Welker's posts were published in an online forum, two of his underage followers also threatened the journalist, tweeting directly at them. Their hope was the threats would stop the journalist from reporting about the group.

The two minors also were part of the same FKD extremist group, officials said.

"As alleged, Nicholas Welker used threats of violence in an effort to stop a journalist from reporting on the white supremacist hate group that he led. He sought to quell freedom of expression and to intimidate and instill fear in a journalist and the journalist's employer -- a well-known news media organization," U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said in a statement.

"We will not hesitate to prosecute those who threaten the core values on which our society was founded, including freedom of the press," Peace said.

The FKD group has members both in the United States and abroad, encouraging attacks on racial minorities, the Jewish community, members of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as journalists covering the news, according to the Justice Department.

"As alleged, Mr. Welker and those he encouraged attempted to silence a journalist with threats of violence. Freedom of both speech and the press are integral to our nation, and we will not allow it to be restricted through violence or intimidation," FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll said in a statement.

Japan's JERA to pay $1.6B to buy Belgium's offshore wind leader Parkwind

Japanese energy company JERA said Wednesday it entered into an agreement to buy Parkwind, the largest offshore wind energy developer in Belgium.

File photo by Pat Benic/UPI | License Photo

March 22 (UPI) -- Japanese energy company JERA said Wednesday it reached a definitive agreement in Belgium to acquire wind energy developer Parkwind, the nation's largest offshore wind energy developer.

JERA, a joint venture between Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings and Chubu Electric Power, reached an agreement with Belgium's Virya Energy to buy the wind energy company for roughly $1.6 billion. Viyra had steered Parkwind to the top of Belgium's offshore wind energy portfolio, with four projects combining for 771 megawatts.

Construction is already underway for a 257 MW facility in Germany and there are further plans for a total of 4.5 gigawatts in the broader European economy.

"Parkwind is highly complementary with JERA's offshore wind strategy and ambitions, and we look to empower Parkwind to deliver on our vision and strategy," Nathalie Oosterlinck, an offshore wind executive at JERA, said. "JERA has the ambition to significantly advance the expansion of renewable and low carbon energy on a global scale."

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Japan is building up its wind energy footprint. Its Nikkei news agency reported last week that it's learned that U.S-based General Electric is looking to bring its largest offshore wind turbines to the Japanese market. At around 18 megawatts per installation, one turbine is enough to meet the energy demand of around 24,000 average households.


JERA played a roll in the development of the 128 MW Formosa project, the first ever commercial-scale offshore wind farm in Taiwan.

Belgium, for its part, is in the top 10 globally in terms of installed offshore wind energy capacity, the International Energy Agency estimates. But it's not yet fully moved away from fossil fuels. The total share of renewables on its grid more than doubled over the last decade, but that share represented only 13% of total energy demand as of 2020, the agency said.

Italy's Eni announces plans for three new offshore wind farms

Italian energy company Eni announced plans to build three new offshore wind farms. The regional wind power capacity could support the needs of millions of average homes. 

Photo by Pat Benic/UPI |

March 22 (UPI) -- New agreements for offshore wind in Italy could add to a growing capacity that could meet the energy demands of more than a million homes, Italian energy company Eni said Wednesday.

GreenIT, Eni's joint venture with Italy's CDP Equity and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, signed an agreement to build three floating wind farms off the coast of Italy that would boast an overall capacity of approximately two gigawatts of energy.

Two are slated for offshore Sardinia and another is tapped for Latium, near the country's midwestern coast. All told, the partners said total offshore wind capacity could be enough to satisfy the demands of 2.5 million average homes.

"This new agreement represents an additional strategic step and a firm commitment to strengthening the floating offshore wind industry in Italy, providing a significant contribution towards a low-carbon future as well as encouraging the development of the local supply chain," Eni said.

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Eni reported adjusted net profit for 2022 of $14.1 billion, its best performance in more than a decade. The company said natural gas was among its primary objectives, with the total share of natural gas in its production portfolio on pace to increase to 60% by 2030. It's been making strides, however, in some of the components necessary to lessen the global footprint of fossil fuels.

The company last month announced a prototype development called the Inertial Sea Wave Energy Converter was connected to the grid on the Italian island of Pantelleria, the first such connection of its kind.

It said later that it made preliminary arrangements with an offshoot of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to accelerate the rollout of industrial-scale fusion, a near-limitless form of energy.

Moderna CEO faces Senate panel as price of COVID-19 vaccine set to quadruple

In February, Moderna announced it would continue to offer its COVID-19 vaccines for free, even after the U.S. government officially ends its public health emergency in May. File Photo by Gary I Rothstein/UPI | License Photo

March 22 (UPI) -- Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel is facing a Senate panel Wednesday over the drugmaker's plan to quadruple the cost of its COVID-19 vaccine.

Bancel stands before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, chaired by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who will press the executive on the company's decision to raise the price ahead of the vaccine reaching the commercial market this fall.

In January, Sanders sent a letter to Bancel urging him to call off the price hike, saying "the purpose of the recent taxpayer investment in Moderna was to protect the health and lives of the American people, not to turn a handful of corporate executives and investors into multi-billionaires."

In February, Sanders' committee released a scathing report on the lucrative compensation packages that have been paid to pharmaceutical executives throughout the pandemic.

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Also last month, Moderna announced a new patient assistance program to provide free vaccines to all Americans, even after the U.S. government officially ends its public health emergency in May.

"As the public health emergency ends, the United States government will no longer be providing vaccines at no cost. Moderna remains committed to ensuring that people in the United States will have access to our COVID-19 vaccines regardless of ability to pay," the drug company said.

Before Bancel's appearance, Sanders' office issued a statement claiming the executive "became a billionaire during the pandemic after U.S. taxpayers gave his company billions of dollars to research, develop, and distribute its COVID-19 vaccine."

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The federal government purchased millions of vaccine doses from Moderna, which have been provided to the public for free to curtail the spread of the virus, with Moderna sharing in $102 billion in total revenue from the purchases in 2021 -- 137% above the previous year.

In recent interviews, Moderna president Stephen Hoge has brushed off criticism about the imminent price hike, noting that moving a government-funded product into the commercial market was a risky and unprecedented business proposition for the company.

"This has literally never happened before. And so what we are trying to do, as one of the many manufacturers in the space, is to pick a price we think reflects the value of the vaccine ... but also reflects the complexity of moving from this pandemic market to a commercial market," Hoge told Yahoo News.

Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has also indicated a plan to sell its vaccine for as much as $130 per dose on the open market.

Previously, Sanders called on Moderna not to raise the price of the vaccine -- which he said costs the corporate giant $2.85 to make, but would be unaffordable to everyday consumers at a cost of $130.

Other expert witnesses are also expected to testify at Wednesday's hearing in the Hart Senate Office Building about the impact of pricing, including several legal and medical professors from some of the nation's foremost universities.

Ex-Florida GOP lawmaker pleads guilty to COVID-19 relief fraud

March 22 (UPI) -- A former Florida state Republican lawmaker known for sponsoring the so-called Don't Say Gay bill has pleaded guilty to defrauding the federal government of tens of thousands of COVID-19 relief funds.

Joseph Harding, the 35-year-old former state House representative for Florida's District 24, pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count each of wire fraud, money laundering and making false statements, the Justice Department said.

A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for 11 a.m. on July 25 when Harding faces a maximum sentence of 20 years for the wire fraud charge, 10 years for the money laundering count and five years for making false statements.

Harding's attorney, Peg O'Connor, told CNN in a statement that her client "made the best decision available to him under the circumstances to protect his family and his future."

Harding resigned in December after being indicted by a federal grand jury on six counts stemming from a scheme he conducted to defraud the Small Business Administration.

Prosecutors said the scheme involved him using his dormant businesses to file false documents to the SBA's COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster program, which was created to help small businesses survive the pandemic.

Court documents state that through this action, he obtained $150,000.

After receiving the funds, prosecutors said he transferred the money to a joint bank account and to a third-party business as well as used it to pay his credit car, prosecutors said, adding that each transaction was for more than $10,000.

Harding gained national attention early last year after sponsoring House Bill 1557, The Parental Rights In Education Act, which restricted what LGBTQ information teachers could discuss with their students in school.

Ancient Roman mosaic discovered under supermarket construction site

An ancient mosaic, which archaeologists say was part of a Roman villa and bathhouse, has been unearthed in southeast Britain as workers prepared the site for the construction of a supermarket. Photo courtesy of Oxford Archaeology

March 21 (UPI) -- An ancient mosaic, which archaeologists say was part of a Roman villa and bathhouse, has been unearthed in southeast Britain as workers prepared the site for the construction of a supermarket.

Archaeologists surveyed the site in the town of Olney, in Buckinghamshire, before construction was to start on the new Aldi supermarket and discovered the ancient mosaic brickwork.

"We can now share a pretty exciting find," Oxford Archaeology tweeted. "A Roman mosaic, probably belonging to the Durobrivan group from the East Midlands, that we uncovered during excavations at Olney, Buckinghamshire on behalf of Angle Property."

"There is a previously known Roman settlement at Olney #buckinghamshire so when work started, we knew there was the possibility to find some pretty cool structures and finds but ... a mosaic! Wow!" Oxford Archaeology said.

The dig was commissioned by the property's developer, Angle Property, due to the site's proximity to the existing Roman Site at Olney.

"Due to the site location we anticipated some notable Roman remains, but the discovery of this fantastic mosaic far exceeded those expectations," said John Boothroyd of Oxford Archaeology. "To be able to preserve remains of this quality and importance is a brilliant outcome."

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Archaeologists, who examined the mosaic, said it features "vibrant colors and intricate decorative patterns" made up of red, white and blue tiles, according to Oxford Archaeology, which has deemed the mosaic "archaeological remains of high significance."

The tiles, which extend under a nearby road preventing further investigation, are believed to have been part of a Roman villa and bathhouse.

Workers have covered the mosaic and are preserving the site to allow construction to continue without causing damage.

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The discovery of the mosaic comes after archaeologists in northern Britain revealed last week that they had unearthed a 1,600-year-old cemetery, along with the skeletal remains of a late-Roman aristocratic woman, in the city of Leeds.

Oxford Archaeology shares the "pretty exciting find," after surveying the site before construction of a supermarket in the town of Olney in Buckinghamshire. 

Photo courtesy of Oxford Archaeology