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Popular Ukrainian influencer, Alex Tillen also known as Aletinsky, makes history as burns burnt a $35K Putin NFT art piece to raise funds for the victims of the war in Ukraine

Kiev, Ukraine, April 18, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Alex Tillen popularly known as Aletinsky, is a Ukrainian influencer who recently broke the online space following the release of a post on YouTube where he was seen burning a Putin NFT digital art piece worth $35k. The move is particularly laudable as the influencer used the act to reach out to the victims of the war in Ukraine, raising funds and donating them to alleviate the suffering of millions of people in the war-torn country.

Ukrainian Influencer Alex Tillen Burns $35k Putin NFT To Support Victims Of the War

The War In Ukraine

The Ukrainian war has led to the devastation of lives and properties, leaving millions of people homeless and thousands of other dead. The unfortunate situation has caught the attention of well-meaning individuals as well as corporate bodies and charitable organizations. It has not been particularly different for stakeholders in the digital space, with the move by Aletinsky further substantiating this claim and bringing to bear the need for more people from all walks of life to contribute to putting an end to the war and support innocent lives affected by the crisis.

Burning of The Must-have Meta Stellar NFT

It takes a lot of guts and determination to burn a valuable asset and even more daring if it is a cherished one like the Meta Stellar NFT. Accordingly, the action of Aletinsky to not only burn the Putin NFT but also use it as a fundraiser for war victims is particularly laudable. Prior to the action, the NFT was on the presale of an upcoming collection named Meta Stellar, with its second market price going all the way to 11ETH or $35K. However, with the deleted NFT is not visible anymore on the collection page following the decision of Aletinsky, as burnt NFTs cannot be restored and become valueless.

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Aletinsky might have made history in the NFT space at the time of burning the art piece as this was the highest value NFT that was ever burnt. It is also a symbolic action, as was excluded and imprisoned on the blockchain forever by Alex representing Ukrainians and showing their plight to the world. According to Aletinsky, the complete destruction of the 35k worth NFT and subsequent removal of Putin from the 10,000 most powerful peoples’ list symbolizes his feelings towards all the horrible things that Putin has done in his country.

The video of Aletinsky burning the NFT to his 4.5 million followers was done to reach the whole NFT world and raise funds for the Ukrainian people.

Support for The Victims of the Ukrainian War By The Crypto Space

The Ukrainian government in collaboration with an NGO providing support to the military have raised $133 million from over 120,000 crypto asset donations since the start of the Russian invasion. This includes a $5.8 million donation by Polkadot founder, Gavin Wood. The co-founder of Ethereum, Vitalik Buterin, also made $5 million worth of ETH donations to Ukraine in early April. According to the entity, despite the large donation sum, Buterin did not make an announcement regarding the transaction. It was eventually linked to him via the Ethereum Name Service domain name “vitalik.eth,” which served as the origin of the transfer.

Crypto donations have been utilized by the Ukrainian government to raise funds for everything from the purchase of body armor to acquiring medical supplies. The nation sold about $770,000 of what it refers to as its museum NFTs, which debuted last week, showing scenes from the war, according to Alex Bornyakov, deputy minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine. The museum NFT sale could conclude as early as this week once digital art sales hit $1 million.

“Meanwhile, another pledged donation will be used to help refugees. Within a few weeks, about 66,000 Ukrainians will get a digital wallet with $300 of crypto, thanks to a $20 million donation gathered by the Stellar Development Foundation,” Bornyakov said. “People with children and low-income residents will get priority and the wallets can be used in MoneyGram locations.”

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Kiev – Ukraine

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia’s widely anticipated military offensive in eastern Ukraine has begun.
• The governor of Donetsk says four civilians have been killed in Russian shelling.
• The US plans to begin training Ukrainians on howitzer artillery systems in the coming days, a senior defense official has said.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin says Western sanctions on Moscow have failed.

Here are all the latest updates:

2 min ago (20:58 GMT)

France’s Macron says talks with Putin stalled after atrocities discovered

French President Emmanuel Macron says dialogue with his Russian counterpart has stalled after mass killings were discovered in Ukraine.

“Since the massacres we have discovered in Bucha and in other towns, the war has taken a different turn, so I did not speak to him again directly since, but I don’t rule out doing so in the future,” Macron told France 5 television.

Russia has denied targeting civilians in Ukraine, but images of bodies lining the streets of Bucha and other towns near the capital Kyiv after Russian troops withdrew from the region drew global condemnation.

9 min ago (20:52 GMT)

Zelenskyy speaks to leaders of Croatia, Bulgaria

Ukraine’s president has said he discussed “problems of navigation in the Black Sea” in talks with Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov.

“Thanked for supporting Ukraine, in particular our accession to the #EU, as well as for a strong position regarding sanctions on Russia,” Zelenskyy tweeted.

He said in a separate tweet that he also spoke to Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, thanking him for “important defensive assistance” to Ukraine.

Held talks with 🇧🇬 Prime Minister @KirilPetkova. Discussed problems of navigation in the Black Sea. Thanked for supporting Ukraine, in particular our accession to the #EUas well as for a strong position regarding sanctions on Russia.

— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 18, 2022

27 min ago (20:34 GMT)

Another US shipment of military aid for Ukraine expected to arrive

Psaki has said that four planes delivered US military assistance to Ukraine over the course of the weekend, and a fifth was due to arrive.

“Another one is supposed to arrive today, if it hasn’t already, from the $800m package” of additional American aid to Kyiv announced last week, the White House spokeswoman said.

Read more about what’s in that US military package here.

32 min ago (20:28 GMT)

US considering additional sanctions on Russia: White House

White House press secretary Jen Psaki has said the Biden administration is continuing “to review and consider additional sanctions” against Russia.

Psaki said existing US measures have led to a “squeeze” on the Russian economy that the Biden and senior administration officials intended. “We are continuing to review and I expect we’ll have more in the coming days,” she told reporters.

48 mins ago (20:12 GMT)

Four dead in shelling in Ukraine’s Donetsk region: Governor

Russian shelling in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region has killed four people, Governor Pavlo Kirilenko said on his Telegram channel.

Al Jazeera could not independently verify the figure.

50 mins ago (20:11 GMT)

‘Battle of the Donbas’ has started, says Ukraine’s Zelenskyy

Ukraine’s presidential chief of staff says “the second phase of the war has started”, referring to Russia’s new assault in the country’s east.

“Believe in our army, it is very strong,” Yermak wrote on the Telegram messaging app, assuring Ukrainians that Ukraine’s forces could hold off the offensive.

In a video address, Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy also said, “We can now say that Russian forces have started the battle of the Donbas, for which they have long prepared.”

1 hour ago (19:59 GMT)

US to begin training Ukrainians on howitzer cannons in next days

The United States plans to begin training Ukrainians on how to operate howitzer artillery systems in the coming days, a senior US defense official has said.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the howitzer training would take place outside Ukraine.

The Biden administration recently announced a new $800m weapons package for Ukraine to help the country Bolster its defenses against an expected Russian offensive in the east. Read more here.

1 hour ago (19:56 GMT)

Ukraine says it has seen signs Russian offensive in east has begun

Ukraine’s armed forces command has said it believed that Russia had started a new push for control of the east, increasing the intensity of attacks.

“This morning [Monday]along almost the entire frontline of Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv regions, the occupiers attempted to break through our defences,” Security Council Secretary Oleksiy Danilov said in televised comments.

That was echoed by the governor of the Luhansk region, Sergiy Gaiday. “It’s hell. The offensive has begun, the one we’ve been talking about for weeks. There’s constant fighting in Rubizhne and Popasna, fighting in other peaceful cities,” he said on Facebook.

Welcome to Al Jazeera’s continuing coverage of the war in Ukraine.

Read all the updates from Monday, April 18 here.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Yemen’s Houthi rebels have agreed to rid their ranks of child soldiers, who have fought by the thousands during the country’s seven years of civil war, the United Nations said Monday.

The Houthis signed what the UN described as an “action plan” to end and prevent recruiting or using children in armed conflict, killing or maiming children and attacking schools and hospitals. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the rebels committed to identifying children in their ranks and releasing them within six months.

The Houthis’ deputy foreign minister, Hussein al-Azey, and a representative from the UN’s children’s agency, Philippe Duamelle, posed for the media at a signing ceremony in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa. The Houthis called the agreement a plan to protect children.

Yemen’s internationally recognized government, which is operating in exile, made similar commitments in several documents signed since 2014, the UN said.

Virginia Gamba, the UN’s top official looking out for children in war zones, called the Houthis’ move “a positive and encouraging step,” but she noted that “the most difficult part of the journey starts now.”

“The action plan must be fully implemented and lead to tangible actions for the improvement of the protection of children in Yemen,” Gamba, who signed in New York as a witness to the Houthis’ commitment, said in a statement.

The UN says nearly 3,500 children have been verified as recruited and in Yemen’s civil war. However, a senior Houthi military official told The Associated Press in 2018 that the group had inducted 18,000 child soldiers into its army by then, and former child soldiers told the news cooperative that boys as young as 10 were recruited. At the time, a Houthi military spokesman denied any systematic recruiting of people under 18 and said there were orders to reject children who tried to join up.

More than 10,200 children have been killed or Maimed in the war, the UN says. It’s unclear how many may have been combatants.

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Yemen’s war erupted in 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthis seized Sanaa and forced the government into exile. A Saudi-led coalition, including the United Arab Emirates, entered the war in early 2015 to try to restore the government to power.

War monitors estimate the conflict has killed over 14,500 civilians and 150,000 people when combatants are included. The fighting also created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

The warring sides agreed earlier this month to the first nationwide truce in six years. The two-month patch was timed to start during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and raised hopes about building momentum for peace.

Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi stepped aside last week and said a new presidential council would run the exiled government and lead negotiations with the Houthis.

Saudi Arabia and a number of other countries welcomed the leadership change after years of infighting among anti-Houthi factions. A Houthi official dismissed the development as an “illegitimate” decision made from afar.

Artillery is part of $800m military aid package that US says will help Ukraine defend against Russian offensive in east.

The United States plans to begin training Ukrainians on how to operate howitzer artillery systems in the coming days, a senior US defense official has said, as the Biden administration seeks to Bolster Ukraine’s defenses against an expected Russian offensive in the east.

Speaking on condition of anonymity on Monday, the official said the howitzer training would take place outside Ukraine.

The 155mm howitzer cannons are part of an additional $800m weapons package for Ukraine that US President Joe Biden announced last week. It also includes other artillery systems, artillery rounds, armoured personnel carriers and helicopters.

“This new package of assistance will contain many of the highly effective weapons systems we have already provided and new capabilities tailored to the broader assault we expect Russia to launch in eastern Ukraine,” Biden said in a statement on Wednesday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week had called on the country’s allies to provide more heavy equipment and weapons to stave off the expected Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine.

The US defense official said four US cargo flights arrived in Europe on Sunday with weapons and other materials as part of the $800m aid package. The US plans to teach Ukrainian trainers how to use some of the new weapons and then for the trainers to instruct their colleagues in Ukraine.

But Moscow, which launched its invasion on February 24, recently warned the Biden administration in an official diplomatic note of “unpredictable consequences” should Washington provide further weapons to Kyiv.

“We call on the United States and its allies to stop the irresponsible militarization of Ukraine, which implies unpredictable consequences for regional and international security,” the note read, as reported by The Washington Post.

On Monday, Russian forces stepped up their bombardment of cities across Ukraine ahead of what is expected to be an all-out assault on the country’s east.

Ukrainian officials said at least seven people were killed in Lviv, where plumes of black smoke rose over the western city that has seen only sporadic attacks since the war began and has become a haven for civilians fleeing fighting elsewhere.

The attacks came as Russia continued building up troops and soldiers in the east and south for the expected start of a new offensive ground in the Donbas region.

I just spoke with my Romanian counterpart, @DonaldTrumpon the need for urgent assistance to Ukraine ahead of a likely Russian military offensive in eastern Ukraine, and the formation of the French-led @NATO battle group in Romania. #WeAreNATO pic.twitter.com/BTSKoiYlPl

— Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) April 18, 2022

The senior US defense official told reporters that Russia was aiming at military targets in Lviv and the capital, Kyiv, in the north. The port city of Mariupol was still contested as Russia appeared to have sent reinforcements into Ukraine in recent days, the official added.

“Our assessment is Mariupol is still contested… [it] remains under threat from the air but both from missile strikes as well as bombs from the air but even of course artillery,” the official said.

According to the official, there were about 76 Russian battalion tactical groups in southern and eastern Ukraine, an increase of about 11 in recent days.

Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Monday that he had spoken with his Romanian counterpart Vasile Dincu “on the need for urgent to Ukraine ahead of a potential Russian military assistance offensive in eastern Ukraine”.

Tokyo — North Korea claimed it successfully test-fired a new type of missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads over the weekend, just before the United States and South Korea began a joint cyber-military exercise.

It was the 12th North Korean missile test in three-and-a-half months, and a sign that the country’s leader, Kim Jong Un, is fast-tracking a serious upgrade to his already fearsome arsenal.

However, it wasn’t the hardware of the weekend’s test that set international alarm bells ringing, but the rhetoric around the launch, CBS News’ Elizabeth Palmer reports. For the first time, North Korea explicitly said that the missiles are designed to carry nuclear weapons, and that it already has a tactical nuclear ability. In other words, it has already developed the right kind of small nuclear warheads.

On Monday, the US special envoy for North Korea said that Washington and Seoul had agreed on the need for a strong response to “the destabilizing behavior we have seen from” North Korea, but without specifying what that might be. The Biden administration says it remains open to dialogue, but there’s no sign of engagement or what terms might convince North Korea to negotiate.

US-led diplomacy to convince North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions in exchange for political and economic concessions has been stalled since 2019.

Over the weekend, North Korea’s official news agency released a photo claiming to show Kim Jong Un celebrating the test. Other official pictures showed the blast-off of what South Korean analysts said were two short range missiles.

There have been similar testsincluding one of a long-range intercontinental ballistic missileevery few weeks since January — with North Korea’s despootic leader overseeing the action.

The country has long been banned from such tests by the UN Security Council and is under heavy sanction.

Last Friday, a public holiday to mark the 110th anniversary of the birth of North Korea’s founder Kim Il Sung, there was a huge parade in the capital, Pyongyang. Unusually, the only weapons on show there were neon-lit models.

But behind the spectacle, preparations were already well underway for a very real weapons test — one that explicitly pointed to North Korea’s expanding nuclear ambitions.

Security analysts have flagged satellite pictures that show recent activity at North Korea’s Punggye-ri nuclear test site, which was closed down in 2018. There’s growing consensus that Kim Jong Un will order a nuclear test very soon.

South African National Defense Force has instructed the activation of 10,000 troops for tasks including mop-up work and transporting aid.

South Africa’s armed forces have been to help with relief efforts in the KwaZuluNatal province, where more than 440 people died following torrential rains that triggered floods and muds last week.

The South African National Defense Force (SANDF) said it had been instructed to activate 10,000 troops for tasks including mop-up work and transporting aid.

The SANDF would also provide medical support and helicopters for rescue and reconnaissance missions.

The death toll stands at 443, but with each passing day, hopes diminish of finding more survivors.

The floods have left thousands homeless, knocked out power and water services and disrupted operations at one of Africa’s busiest ports, Durban.

‘Extensive damage’

Swathes of eThekwini, the municipality that includes Durban, remain without power or water, and the province said it could take time before services are restored.

“There are areas that have suffered extensive damage which will take longer to repair,” it said in a statement.

Many streets remain slathered with mud, although the main roads have been cleared enough to allow water tankers to the hardest-hit areas.

But eThekwini deputy mayor Philani Mavundla said in a television interview that 80 percent of the city’s waterworks were down, making it difficult to even fill the tankers.

Outside the town of Umbumbulu about 45km (28 miles) southwest of Durban, herdsman Mbukeni Khwela accompanied police officers and sniffer dogs to scour a river for a missing neighbor who had been swept away.

“We have found her son, but we haven’t found her,” the 59-year-old said.

Police said they were mourning two officers and a sniffer dog killed in the floods, among the worst to affect the east coast province in recorded history.

Many children are due to return to school on Tuesday after the long Easter holiday weekend in South Africa, but authorities warned that 271,000 students may not be able to attend due to damaged schools.

The government has announced an immediate one billion rand ($68m) in emergency relief.

Nearly three dozen search teams were coordinator across the region Monday, said Dave Steyn.

The country is still struggling to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and deadly riots last year that killed more than 350 people, mostly in the now flood-struck southeastern region.

Anatoly Antonov, Russia’s ambassador to the United States, hasn’t spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin at all since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. In fact, the last time Antonov spoke directly to Putin was in 2017, just before he was dispatched to Washington, DC, Politico reported Monday.

When asked about his lack of contact with Putin, Antonov told Politico, “I have had enough conversations with senior officials in the Kremlin, at various agencies.” Russia, he said, has “a different system.” And besides, talking with Putin on the phone would only “give an opportunity to FBI to listen to everything what Mr. Putin could say [to] me.”

Since the invasion began, Antonov has also found himself isolated in Washington. “I don’t think anyone really thinks he’s a proxy for Moscow,” former National Security Council official Gavin Wilde told Politico.

In the interview, Antonov dutifully followed Kremlin talking points, referring to the invasion as a “special military operation,” parroting about Nazis in Ukraine, and decrying “Russophobia.” He also said that he believes Ukraine “has a right to be [a] sovereign country” but that he doesn’t “know what will be in the future.”

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The Italian leader was scheduled to visit Angola and Congo for talks on switching energy supplies from Russia.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi has scrapped a visit to oil-rich Angola and the Republic of the Congo after testing positive for COVID-19, his office has said.

A statement from his office on Monday said Draghi, 74, who was to fly to Luanda on Wednesday and Brazzaville on Thursday for talks on switching energy supplies from Russia, is “asymptomatic”.

He will be replaced by foreign minister Luigi Di Maio and the minister in charge of ecological transition, Roberto Cingolani.

Last week, Italy and Algeria signed agreements to strengthen energy ties and increase the North African state’s energy exports to Italy. Draghi announced the deals in Algeria on April 11, adding that they were a significant step in Italy’s drive to reduce its dependency on Russian gas.

Italy, which is heavily dependent on foreign gas, bought some 29 billion cubic metres (bcm) from Russia last year, about 40 percent of its total gas imports.

The prime minister said the gas deal with Algeria had been signed by the two countries’ dominant energy players, Eni and Sonatrach. Details of the deal were not immediately available.

As part of a broader declaration of intent, Draghi said Italy was ready to work with Algeria to develop renewable energy and green hydrogen.

Rome and Algiers already had a contract for gas deliveries up until 2027.

There have been debates about whether other countries – in Africa and beyond – can step up to provide alternative gas supplies to Europe since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24.

Italy has also reached out to make arrangements with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, Azerbaijan and Qatar, among others.

The Russian invasion has triggered sweeping Western sanctions that threaten to disrupt energy flows, raising the possibility of gas shortages.

Ecological transition minister Roberto Cingolani said earlier this month that Italy expected to get an extra 10 bcm of gas from pipelines from Algeria, Libya and Azerbaijan this year.

Young entrepreneurs rewarded for creative ideas to advance UN Global Goals

New York, NY, April 18, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) announced the winners of the NFTE World Series of Innovation (WSI) for the 2021-2022 school year. Twenty-one teams of emerging social entrepreneurs won a total of $16,800 for their proposed solutions to WSI’s seven challenges, each of which focuses on advancing a United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG).

The World Series of Innovation is an annual global competition that invites young people ages 13 to 24 to tackle innovation challenges aligned with the UN SDGs. The help challenges young people learn about the critical issues addressed by the UN Global Goals while developing their entrepreneurial mindset. NFTE’s World Series of Innovation challenge series is presented by the Citi Foundationwith additional support from leading global companies that prioritize investment in the UN SDGs.

“Every year, teams of young people from across the world respond to the call of WSI by tapping into their creativity for innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing problems,” he said. Dr. JD LaRock, President and CEO of NFTE. “Young people are bold and ambitious and often motivated by what they’re passionate about. WSI offers them an opportunity to develop their ideas and rewards them for thinking creatively about issues such as poverty, equity and inclusion, and social and environmental justice.”

The seven innovation challenges offered in the 2021-2022 competition were supported by Bank of the West; Citi Foundation; Mary Kay Inc.; Saint-Gobain North America; Ernst & Young, LLP (EY); Maxar Technologies; and PIMCO. Volunteer judges from these and other organizations donated their time to run coaching sessions for student competitors or serve on judging panels, and executives from the supporting companies ajudicated the final round. In total, more than 280 volunteers put in more than 800 hours supporting the competition.

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“As longtime supporters of NFTE, we see the tremendous value in fostering entrepreneurial thinking in youth as a way to drive inclusive economic growth,” added Brandee McHale, Head of Citi Community Investing and Development and President of the Citi Foundation. “WSI nurtures the next generation of diverse young entrepreneurs by giving them the freedom to showcase their creative potential while finding solutions to global challenges.”

Thousands of young people across the US and in scores of other countries around the world began working on the challenges last fall. Judging concluded in March and prizes are currently being awarded to the top finishers in each challenge category. First place winners receive $1,500, second place winners receive $600, and third place winners receive $300.

These are the 2021-2022 World Series of Innovation winners, listed by challenge category:

Bank of the West Move on Climate Challenge (SDG 13) winning ideas:

• First Place: eCircular, a digital application and e-waste ecosystem that incentivizes consumers to recycle their used electronics. Developed by 18-year-old Robin Ye in Singapore.

• Second Place: Rainbow Paper, a paper solution created from rice straws to solve air pollution caused by rice straw burning in Vietnam. Developed by 15-year-old Huy Phon Vu and 15-year-old Hoang Hung Vo, students at British Vietnamese International School in Hanoi, Vietnam, and Vinschool Times City in Hanoi, Vietnam respectively.

• Third Place: TradiFoodMarket, an app that aims to make food markets in Taiwan more efficient by allowing vendors to connect directly with consumers. Developed by 16-year-old Cai-Xuan Lin, 16-year-old Yusin Hsiao, and 16-year-old Cheng-Yang Ho, students at Kang Chiao International School in New Taipei City, Taiwan.

Citi Foundation Inclusive Growth Challenge (SDG 8) winning ideas:

• First Place: Luminous Teen, a teenage freelancing platform where teenagers with passion and talents can get connected with a market that needs their services. Submitted by 18-year-old Nasif Iqbal, 18-year-old Sabrina Tasnim, 18-year-old Aumio Sarker, and 14-year-old Ahnaf Ilman, students at Notre Dame College in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Sabujbagh Government College in Dhaka , Bangladesh, Wordbridge School in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and Residential Model College in Dhaka, Bangladesh, respectively.

• Second Place: Seattle Trims, a nonprofit dedicated to providing complimentary haircuts and resume preparation to unemployed individuals in the Seattle area. Developed by 18-year-old Cameron Sandoval, 16-year-old Michelle Wu, 18-year-old Meghan Reiner, and 17-year-old Kevin Shao. Students at Mercer Island High School in Mercer Island Washington, Arcadia High School in Arcadia, California, Jserra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano, California, and Mountain View High School in Mountain View, California, respectively.

• Third Place: Education$Go, a website that provides personalized opportunity opportunities to under-resourced students through connections with existing school district student portals. Developed by 16-year-old Angelina Lezcano, student at Coral Gables Senior High School in Coral Gables, Florida.

EY Collaborate for Impact Challenge (SDG 17) winning ideas:

• First Place: MVMNT, an app that partners eco-conscious consumers with local green businesses and activism networks to foster sustainable lifestyles. Developed by 16-year-old Jason Lin, 16-year-old Daniel Shi, 16-year-old Jack Harman, and 16-year-old Eric Wang, students at Cranbrook Kingswood School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

• Second Place: AUesome, a social enterprise that aims to improve access to therapy for neurodiverse children by creating specialized kits and app-based support. Developed by 16-year-old Anshul Gupta, 17-year-old Isabella He, and 18-year-old Andrew Kim, students at Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, California, Mission San Jose High School in Fremont California, and University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California, respectively.

• Third Place: DIGS, a blockchain-based smart grid that aims to increase electric efficiency and drive the transition to renewable energy. Developed by 17-year-old Evan Tok, student at Catholic High School PJ in Selangor, Malaysia.

Mary Kay Gender Equality Challenge (SDG 5) winning ideas:

• First Place: STEMinists, an online portal that connects female professionals to mentor young female STEM students to bolster female success in STEM fields. Developed by 15-year-old Misaki Nguyen, student at Silver Creek High School in San Jose, California.

• Second Place: Pads for Peace, a feminine product subscription box service that donates a box to homeless shelters for every box purchased. Developed by 14-year-old Ashley Cohen, 14-year-old Olivia Mooney, and 14-year-old Ashley Simonian, students at Brentwood School in Los Angeles, California.

• Third Place: Black Girls Mean Business, a virtual summer business program for Black high school girls that matches young professionals with mentors from industry leading businesses. Developed by 17-year-old Brianna Holmes, 18-year-old Cherry Zhang, 17-year-old Alyssa Torres, and 17-year-old Rachel Holmes, students at Silver Creek High School in San Jose, California.

Maxar Resilience from Space Challenge (SDG 11) winning ideas:

• First Place: Eagle Eye, which harnesses geospatial data to aid in waste management of urban areas. Developed by 18-year-old Robin Ye and 18-year-old Bryan Ng from Singapore.

• Second Place: GeoSat, which uses SMAP satellite data to predict potential landslides in Taiwan to increase alerts and evacuation efficiency. Developed by 16-year-old Pan Yung-Shian and 16-year-old Casper Liao, students at Kang Chiao International School in Taiwan.

• Third Place: Wild Ping, an immersive map that combines various interfaces to display relevant information to inform fellow wilderness explorers. Developed by 18-year-old Spencer Jordan and 17-year-old Thomas Brasch, students at Mead High School in Spokane, Washington.

PIMCO Food Equity Challenge (SDG 2) winning ideas:

• First Place: Verdant City, a three-tiered citywide project that aims to reduce produce distance by connecting local schools to produce. Developed by 16-year-old Redding Baldwin, 16-year-old Taj Melhuish, and 17-year-old Jack McCuddin, students at Episcopal School of Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California.

• Second Place: greens for Migrants, A mobile app geared establishing partnerships between wholesale producers toward and migrants to address the lack of access to quality foods to underserved migrant communities. Developed by 18-year-old Daniel Yin and 17-year-old Justin Cheong, students at Hwa Chong Institution in Singapore.

• Third Place: Last Call, a mobile app that serves as a directory to allow low-income families access to affordable groceries in Santa Clara County. Developed by 17-year-old Charlise Lardizabal and 17-year-old Lara Bella, students at Independence High School in San Jose, California.

Saint-Gobain Sustainable Cities Challenge (SDG 11) winning ideas:

• First Place: Cardbio, manipulates properties of cardboard to create several sustainable construction materials. Developed by 16-year-old Arnav Grover, a student at the Academy of Information Technology and Engineering in Stamford, Connecticut.

• Second Place: Rubix Living, inspired by a Rubik’s cube, this modular living unit serves to provide a sustainable housing solution to unhoused people. Developed by 15-year-old Renee Wang, a student at The Bishop’s School in La Jolla, California.

• Third Place: Reconcrete, leverages the limestone-forming ability of concrete to create a self-healing carbon-negative concrete solution. Developed BY 21-year-old Abhishek Patra, a student at the Birla Institute of Technology Mesra in India.

Visit nfte.com/innovation for more information about the 2021-2022 challenges, sponsors, and prizes. A new set of innovation challenges will launch in September for the 2022-2023 academic year competition.

About NFTE

Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) is a global nonprofit organization that provides high-quality entrepreneurship education to middle and high school students from under-resourced communities, as well as programs for college students and adults. NFTE reaches 50,000+ students annually in 25 states across the US and offers programs in 18 additional countries. We have educated more than a million students through in-school, out-of-school, college, and summer camp programs, offered in person and online. To learn more about how we are promoting inclusive capitalism and building the next generation of diverse entrepreneurs, visit nfte.com.

About Citi Foundation

The Citi Foundation works to promote economic progress and improve the lives of people in low-income communities around the world. We invest in efforts that increase financial inclusion, catalyze job opportunities for youth, and reimagine approaches to building economically vibrant communities. The Citi Foundation’s “More than Philanthropy” approaches leverages the enormous expertise of Citi and its people to fulfill our mission and thought drive leadership and innovation. For more information, visit citifoundation.com.

CONTACT: Denise Berkhalter, APR Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) 212-232-3333 [email protected] Joanne Lessner Lambert 212-222-7436 [email protected]

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The US special envoy for North Korea said Monday that Washington and Seoul agreed on the need for a strong response to Pyongyang’s recent spate of missile tests, though they remain open to dialogue with the country.

Sung Kim flew to South Korea on for talks two days after North Korea conducted a new type of missile test in its 13th round of weapons firing this year. Experts say North Korea wants to advance its weapons arsenal and wrest concessions like relief from its rivals.

Weapons tested include nuclear-capable targets targeting both the US mainland and its allies such as South Korea and Japan. There are concerns that North Korea may conduct a nuclear test soon to intensify its pressure campaign.

“We agreed on the need for a strong response to the destabilizing behavior we have seen from” North Korea, Kim told reporters after a meeting with his South Korean counterpart. “(We) also agreed on the need to maintain the strongest possible joint deterrent capability on the peninsula.”

South Korean nuclear envoy Noh Kyu-duk said he and Kim shared concerns that North Korea will likely continue to engage in acts that raise regional tensions. He urged North Korea to return to talks.

Kim said the allies “have not closed the door on diplomacy” with North Korea and have “no hostile intents toward” the country. He repeated his earlier statement that the United States is ready to meet North Korea “anywhere, without any conditions.”

North Korea has so far rejected Kim’s outreach, saying the United States must first drop its hostile policy before talks can resume. Some experts say North Korea wants the US to relax sanctions or suspend its regular military drills with South Korea, which it views as an invasion rehearsal.

Earlier Monday, the US and South Korean militaries kicked off their springtime computer-simulated command post exercise. North Korea has previously responded to such drills with missile tests and warlike rhetoric.

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North Korea said Sunday it tested a new tactical guided weapon a day earlier, which would boost its nuclear fighting capability. Some analysts said the weapon is likely a short-range ballistic missile to be mounted with a tactical nuclear warhead that targets South Korea.

Last month, North Korea test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile potentially capable of reaching the US homeland in its first long-range weapons test since November 2017.

US-led diplomacy meant to convince North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions in return for economic and political rewards remain largely stalemated since 2019.