Latest news with #Bluestar
BBC News
20 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Bus service to Marwell Zoo axed due to financial pressures
A bus service to a zoo has been scrapped over seasonal Bluestar route was subsidised by Marwell Zoo, near Winchester, and offered passengers discounted entry to the the zoo has said "unfortunately, uptake was low and the operator was unable to share the high cost, making the service financially unsustainable".Bluestar said it was "disappointed" funding had been withdrawn and apologised for any inconvenience. In a statement, Marwell Wildlife added: "As a conservation charity, sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. "This was not a decision we took lightly, but as a charity, it's vital that we focus our limited resources where they can have the greatest impact."We're grateful for our guests' understanding and continued support."The Bluestar service from Eastleigh Bus Station stopped at Eastleigh Rail Station and the New Clock Inn in Fair Oak before getting to the its timetable released in February, it had been set to run hourly on weekends, school holidays and bank holidays until 2 September and also through the October half transport options to the zoo remain available via the Stagecoach 69 service, which runs direct to the site on Sundays and bank holidays. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Parvis Secures Strategic Investments from Bluestar Equity and Lankin Investments, Signaling Next Phase of Growth
New strategic alliances bring capital, leadership, and alignment as Parvis scales a modern marketplace for real estate and alternative investing Highlights Bluestar Equity, the investment office of the Murad Family, via its Bluestar Flagship Fund LP, and Lankin Investments Inc., make a strategic investment in Parvis providing significant growth capital as part of a long-term and comprehensive strategic alliance. Roy Murad, Chairman of Bluestar and Kyle Pulis, Founder and CEO of Lankin will join Parvis' Board of Directors. With Bluestar and Lankin's support, Parvis plans to accelerate its expansion of innovative financial services products and accelerate its growth through acquisitions. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 4, 2025) - Parvis Invest Inc. (TSXV: PVIS) ("Parvis" or the "Company"), a technology-enabled platform redefining access to real estate and alternative private market investments, today announced the expansion of its strategic partnerships (the "Strategic Alliances") through equity investments by the Bluestar Flagship Fund ("Bluestar"), the investment office of the Murad Family, and Lankin Investments Inc. ("Lankin"), a leading Ontario-based real estate investment firm. Together these strategic investments, and corresponding alliance agreements, represent a pivotal step in advancing Parvis's mission to build a modern, scaled marketplace for private investing. As part of the alliances: Bluestar has made a strategic equity investment via its Bluestar Flagship Fund LP and will collaborate with Parvis across capital markets, M&A advisory, and legal and wealth services. Roy Murad, Chairman of Bluestar, will be appointed to Parvis' Board of Directors. Lankin has entered into an exclusive engagement to use Parvis as its exempt market dealer (EMD) and technology and compliance platform of record for capital raising across Canada and abroad. The partnership includes access to Parvis' distribution network and global and domestic fund architecture. Kyle Pulis, Founder and CEO of Lankin, will also join the Parvis Board. "These partnerships represent a powerful vote of confidence in our long-term strategy," said David Michaud, Founder & CEO of Parvis. "Bluestar brings institutional strength in capital markets and advisory. Lankin brings extensive expertise in real estate management. Together, we're building the infrastructure for a more connected and transparent private market." A Coordinated Investment Ecosystem The alliances reflect a shared vision for creating a more efficient and scalable capital flow between issuers and investors. Both Bluestar and Lankin will leverage Parvis's compliance infrastructure, KYC/AML systems, and fund technology to support their respective offerings. Bluestar will continue to provide M&A advisory and client referral services through its regulated entities, while Parvis will promote Bluestar's flagship funds and refer private wealth clients across its platform. Lankin, which has over $2B in assets under management in private real estate, will collaborate with Parvis to support joint lead generation, investor education, marketing, and operational services aimed at maximizing capital raise effectiveness and investor onboarding. "Parvis is executing at a high level," said Noah Murad, CEO and Managing Partner of Bluestar Equity. "We've seen firsthand the Company's ability to drive innovation and operational discipline in a traditionally fragmented market. This partnership allows us to support their continued scale, while aligning with a platform built for long-term success." "For us, this isn't just an investment, it's a strategic alignment," added Kyle Pulis, CEO of Lankin. "We're building something enduring, and we're excited to partner with Parvis to help shape the future of private market access in Canada and beyond." These dual investments accelerate Parvis's evolution into a central hub in Canada's private investment landscape - driven by alignment, not just capital. With Bluestar and Lankin as strategic partners, Parvis is solidifying its leadership in Canada's evolving private investment landscape. "At Parvis, we've always believed that the future of private markets will be shaped by collaboration," added Drew Green, Chairman of Parvis. "With Bluestar and Lankin aligned with our mission, we're accelerating that future - building a trusted ecosystem that connects capital with opportunity through innovation, access, and scale." Convertible Debenture Private Placement In connection with the Strategic Alliances, Parvis is pleased to announce its intention to complete a proposed non-brokered private placement of unsecured convertible debentures (the "Debentures") to Bluestar and Lankin, for aggregate gross proceeds of up to C$800,000, to be completed in three tranches, consisting of C$300,000 in each of the first two tranches and C$200,000 in the final tranche (the "Offering"). The Company intends to proceed with the closing of the first tranche of C$300,000 in principal amount in the near term. The Company's entry into the Strategic Alliances, including the appointments to the Board of Directors and execution of related agreements, is expected to occur following the closing of the Offering. The Debentures will be issued pursuant to separate subscription agreements and will bear interest at 10% per annum, maturing 24 months from the date of issuance, unless earlier converted in accordance with their terms. Each tranche of Debentures will be convertible into common shares of the Company at the option of the holder at a fixed conversion price of C$0.06 per share during the first 12 months following issuance of the first tranche, and C$0.10 per share thereafter. The second and third tranches will have fixed conversion prices of C$0.20 and C$0.35 per share, respectively. All conversions are subject to the terms and conditions set out in the applicable Debenture certificates and to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV"), including compliance with its minimum pricing and price reservation requirements. The Offering is subject to customary closing conditions, including the conditional and final approvals of the TSXV. All securities issued pursuant to the Offering, including any common shares issuable upon conversion of the Debentures, will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months and one day from the date of issuance of the Debentures, in accordance with applicable securities laws and TSXV policies. No finders' fees or commissions will be paid in connection with the Offering. The net proceeds from the Offering will be used for general working capital and corporate purposes. The Offering is being completed in connection with the Company's Strategic Alliances with Bluestar and Lankin. As part of these arrangements, Roy Murad (Chairman of Bluestar) and Kyle Pulis (CEO of Lankin) will be appointed to the Company's Board of Directors and, upon appointment, will become insiders of the Company. Other than these board appointments, the Offering will not result in the creation of any new control persons or involve participation by existing insiders of the Company. About Parvis Parvis is a technology-driven investment platform delivering streamlined access to institutional-quality real estate and alternative investments. Headquartered in Vancouver with licenses and presence across Canada, Parvis combines regulatory infrastructure, marketing expertise, and end-to-end technology to simplify private investing for individuals and institutions. For more information, visit About Bluestar Equity Bluestar Equity is the investment office of the Murad Family, investing across private equity, real estate, and financial services through its flagship fund and regulated advisory entities. For more information, visit About Lankin Investments Lankin Investments Inc. is a real estate management and development firm focused on acquiring, managing and operating multi-family real estate assets. Lankin provides its investors with innovative investment strategies tailored to long-term capital growth. For more information, visit Forward-Looking Statement Disclaimer: This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information generally refers to information about an issuer's business, capital, or operations that is prospective in nature, and includes future-oriented financial information about the issuer's prospective financial performance or financial position. Forward-looking statements are often identified by the words "may", "would", "could", "should", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" or similar expressions and includes information regarding: the completion of the first tranche of the Offering; the potential completion of the second and third tranches of the Offering; the use of proceeds from the Offering, the execution and integration of the strategic alliance agreements; and the Company's business plans and role in the investment industry. To develop the forward-looking information in this news release, the Company made certain material assumptions, including but not limited to: prevailing market conditions; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; and the ability of the Company to execute and achieve its business objectives. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Actual results may vary from the forward-looking information in this news release due to certain material risk factors. These risk factors include, but are not limited to: the risk that the Offering, or any tranche thereof, may not be completed on the terms described or at all; the risk that TSX Venture Exchange approval may not be obtained; adverse market conditions; changes in general economic, business and political conditions; changes in applicable laws and regulations; compliance with extensive government regulation; reliance on key and qualified personnel; risks associated with the real estate, investment, and technology industries in general. The foregoing list of material risk factors and assumptions is not exhaustive. The Company assumes no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking information in this news release, unless it is required to do so under Canadian securities legislation. Neither the Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in any jurisdiction. For further information: David Michaud, CEO, Parvis Invest Inc. Email: david@ Tel: 1-844-487-4866 For media inquiries please contact: Katie Green, August StrategyEmail: katie@ Follow us on social media: Instagram: @ParvisInvestFacebook: ParvisInvestLinkedIn: Parvis To view the source version of this press release, please visit Sign in to access your portfolio
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- General
- Miami Herald
Lie led to innocent man's murder conviction, MO cops say. Now detective charged
An investigator lied in court to help secure a murder conviction of an innocent man in his wife's 2011 killing, Missouri officials said. Investigator Michael Merkel is accused of lying in court and now faces two counts of perjury in a criminal trial to secure conviction of murder, according to a criminal complaint filed on June 3. McClatchy News reached out to Merkel's attorney but did not immediately receive a response. In 2011, Russ Faria came home to find his wife, Betsy Faria, dead with approximately 55 stab wounds and a knife in her neck, the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office said in a probable cause statement. The husband was accused of killing his wife and was later convicted of first-degree murder in 2013, according to the law firm representing him, Rosenblum Schwartz Fry & Johnson. Faria had served two years of his life sentence when the verdict was reversed and he was acquitted of the murder charge at a second trial in 2015, according to the attorneys. During the investigation, detectives found what they believed to be a bloody paw print from the family dog on the woman's pants at the crime scene in December 2011, according to the statement. When the husband arrived at the Troy home, however, the family dog was in the backyard, deputies said. Investigators believed the person who killed Betsy Faria took the dog outside after she was stabbed, the probable cause said, and blood was cleaned up from the path between the victim and the patio door. In January 2012, investigators hoped to prove their theory by using a 'Bluestar' chemical reagent to see if blood had been cleaned up from the scene of the killing, court documents said. Photos were taken at the scene. A reaction occurs when blood interacts with the reagent, officials said in court documents. Photos were taken when the reagent was used, according to the probable cause statement. This investigation led the husband to be indicted by a grand jury, the probable cause said. During the high-profile trial, Merkel was asked what the photos showed. He replied 'absolutely nothing' and said the camera used to take the photos had malfunctioned, prosecutors said. However, the camera did not malfunction and there were approximately 130 photos taken at the crime scene, deputies said. During Faria's second trial, Merkel said his 'absolutely nothing' comment did not indicate that the photos showed nothing, but rather no chemical luminescence as a result of the chemical reagent, the probable cause said. Three of the photos did show chemical luminescence, which indicates blood is present due to the reaction with the reagent, the probable cause said. This contradicted Merkel's statement. None of those areas were marked and further tested by investigators, according to court documents. Instead, different pieces of the floor from where the chemical reaction occurred were cut out and removed from the home for testing, but there was no blood present on those pieces, prosecutors said. 'In contrast, the areas that did exhibit the most obvious signs of potential blood evidence were ignored entirely,' the probable cause statement said. Now, Betsy Faria's friend, Pamela Hupp, is accused of murdering the woman, prosecutors said in a 2021 news conference posted by KSDK. Her trial is scheduled next year, the outlet said. Merkel faces up to life in prison if convicted of perjury. Troy is about a 55-mile drive northwest from St. Louis.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Investigator lied under oath in Betsy Faria murder case, prosecutor says
LINCOLN COUNTY, Mo. – A former investigator in the high-profile 2011 murder case of Betsy Faria – later linked to Pam Hupp – is now accused of lying under oath during testimony in Lincoln County, prosecutors say. On Tuesday, the Lincoln County Prosecuting Attorney's Office charged Michael A. Merkel, 46, of Troy, Missouri, with two felony counts of perjury in criminal trial to secure conviction of murder. Court documents allege that Merkel provided false testimony during a criminal trial to secure the conviction of Russ Faria in the murder of Betsy Faria, his wife, who was found dead in her home on December 27, 2011. Sheriff 'ousting' talk grows after budget showdown During the course of the murder investigation, authorities learned that Betsy changed the beneficiary of her $150,000 life insurance policy to Hupp just days before her death. While this raised suspicions around the time of Russ' retrial, Hupp was off the hook from charges at the time. Russ would ultimately serve three years behind bars before he was acquitted in a 2016 retrial. Hupp later came under renewed scrutiny in the 2016 murder of Louis Gumpenberger, a man with disabilities. While she claimed he was a home intruder, police determined she had lured him to her home and staged the scene to divert attention from the Faria case. According to new court documents obtained by FOX 2 over Merkel's charges, investigators used a Bluestar luminescence test to evaluate blood evidence at the crime scene, but the results were disputed during the trial. Merkel testified that photographs taken during the Bluestar test showed 'absolutely nothing' due to a camera malfunction, but forensic review later contradicted that claim. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now The defense argued that the photographs were not provided during pretrial discovery, raising questions about the integrity of the evidence presented. During the retrial, Merkel clarified that his earlier testimony meant the photographs did not show any chemical luminescence, not that they were entirely blank. Court documents also cited a media inquiry from an investigative reporter in connection with Merkel's charges, one believed to be related to at least two reports from FOX Files investigators Chris Hayes (STORY 1 & STORY 2). Lincoln County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney John Krehmeyer requested a $250,000 cash-only bond for Merkel. A document with that request reads: 'One of the pillars of our criminal justice system is that the citizens of this country can depend upon honesty and integrity of those individuals that are entrusted with the responsibility of investigating potential criminal conduct.' As of Wednesday, court documents have not listed an attorney for Merkel. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Sikhs who left Indian Army over Operation Bluestar slam SGPC: ‘Never gave us our due'
Amritsar: Sikhs who deserted the Indian Army in 1984 over Operation Bluestar have accused the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) of not giving them appropriate recognition. Samuh Sikh Dharmi Fauji June 1984 Parivar Welfare Association has announced to launch a movement on June 6 to press the SGPC to acknowledge their contributions and grant them the honour they believe is due to them. In local parlance, Sikhs who deserted the army over Bluestar are called "dharmi fauji". Association president Baldev Singh said SGPC had failed to support them. He said while SGPC claims the number of dharmi faujis is 309, the actual number is 2,875. Baldev, who was serving as a havildar in the Indian Army and was posted in Mizoram at the time, left his barracks in June 1984. He said SGPC only provided compensation of Rs 50,000 to families of dharmi faujis who served jail terms, and Rs 1 lakh to the families of those who died. Baldev said during Operation Bluestar, launched to flush out militants holed up in gurdwaras, Sikh soldiers from various states across India, including Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar, deserted their barracks and marched toward Amritsar to protect the Golden Temple, the Akal Takht, and other gurdwaras. "Approximately 4,500 Sikh soldiers left the army during this period and later came to be known as dharmi fauji (religiously motivated army deserters)," he said. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Quoting his meetings with successive presidents of SGPC, he said the association had been holding a series of internal meetings to deliberate on their future course of action, which will be announced on June 6. He declined to disclose any details about the planned programme or the strategy they intend to adopt. Amritsar: Sikhs who deserted the Indian Army in 1984 over Operation Bluestar have accused the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) of not giving them appropriate recognition. Samuh Sikh Dharmi Fauji June 1984 Parivar Welfare Association has announced to launch a movement on June 6 to press the SGPC to acknowledge their contributions and grant them the honour they believe is due to them. In local parlance, Sikhs who deserted the army over Bluestar are called "dharmi fauji". Association president Baldev Singh said SGPC had failed to support them. He said while SGPC claims the number of dharmi faujis is 309, the actual number is 2,875. Baldev, who was serving as a havildar in the Indian Army and was posted in Mizoram at the time, left his barracks in June 1984. He said SGPC only provided compensation of Rs 50,000 to families of dharmi faujis who served jail terms, and Rs 1 lakh to the families of those who died. Baldev said during Operation Bluestar, launched to flush out militants holed up in gurdwaras, Sikh soldiers from various states across India, including Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar, deserted their barracks and marched toward Amritsar to protect the Golden Temple, the Akal Takht, and other gurdwaras. "Approximately 4,500 Sikh soldiers left the army during this period and later came to be known as dharmi fauji (religiously motivated army deserters)," he said. Quoting his meetings with successive presidents of SGPC, he said the association had been holding a series of internal meetings to deliberate on their future course of action, which will be announced on June 6. He declined to disclose any details about the planned programme or the strategy they intend to adopt.
